Welcome to 'Amp Burger
by LitLover 101
Summary: What would happen if Kol decides to buy a fast food restaurant for the summer and Elijah decides to use this opportunity to teach his brother a lesson? What will happen to a human Elena and Caroline and Bonnie before she knew she was a witch when they become the Mikaelson's employees for the summer? Welcome 'Amp Burger where the meat is not the only thing dripping blood. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**Hello. This is my first fan fiction story. It builds slowly but it's worth it. This story is about family, friendship and love. Each character has a long journey toward learning who they are and what they want from life and how to laugh even when life seems to be falling apart. The main pairings are Kennett, Klaroline and Delena. Please join me for an epic tale of comedy, tragedy and epic romance which will continue into a sequel, The Last Resort.**

Chapter 1: The New Business Owner

Kol Mikaelson was bored. He was usually bored but this felt different. He had too much energy. He needed something, a distraction. It had been a year since his older brother, Klaus, had finally put an end to their retched father and Elijah had insisted that they undagger their siblings. Things had gone well between himself, Elijah, Klaus and Rebekah, that is until someone (Elijah) had decided to undagger their oldest brother, Finn who had in turn undaggered their mother. To make a long story short they had to put an end to Mother once and for all and Finn had run for his undead life. Kol chuckled as he thought back to that night and Finn's self-righteous behavior. Oh, how Finn had been shocked that his younger siblings had gained the upper hand and put their mother down like the witch bitch she was. He frowned for a moment thinking of a time when he was little when his mother used to pick him up, show him the stars and they would name them together.

He found himself whittling the paint brush in his hand faster than before, a frown marring his youthful good looks. With a sigh Kol stopped his whittling before the brush disappeared into a pile of saw dust. He looked up from his place lying on his back leaning into the pillows and took aim at the available space above his head. He grinned as the brush imbedded itself deeply to live a happy new life alongside its brother and sisters. He only had one of the ten paint brushes left, which he had confiscated when he was walking past Klaus' unoccupied studio. Listening closely for any sign of his killjoy of a brother and hearing nothing, Kol had quickly slipped inside the room and saw various boring landscapes of different regions his brother had visited while he lay rotting in a coffin. He picked up a sharpening tool and briefly considered the idea of slicing the portraits into little slivers. Unfortunately, his dammed self-preservation decided to kick in and he found the idea of spending another hundred years locked in a coffin rather unappealing. His mind whirled quickly over various options of how best to irritate his brother. It was when he was about to give up and leave the room that he spotted them. They were so lovely, just standing there. He could almost smell their chasteness from across the room and they seemed to see him, too. They were beckoning him, almost calling out his name sitting so innocently on the corner of the desk. He eyed their length and thought "Do I dare." Cocking his head, ever so slightly to the left, he listened for any sound of his two brothers or sister. When no sound reached his ear a grin spread across his face and before he knew it they were in his hand. 'They weren't even out of their package, yet,' he thought with glee. As he left the room, he began to unconsciously stroke his new toys and asked them quietly "Where would you like to go my pretties." He paused, listening attentively, then answered, "Yes, I do believe you're right, my room does need to be redecorated. But how?" He began spinning until he saw an object which began to shine in his line of vision. Re-entering Klaus' studio he picked up the object, a small knife that his brother used to sharpen his chalk. "You will do the job perfectly."

Afterward, Kol had sharpened his, rather Klaus' brush, and sent it flying into the ceiling of his bedroom located in Klaus' one year old mansion. He found himself needing a new form of entertainment. Sitting up, he tossed the knife haphazardly over his shoulder not paying attention to where it landed. After all, if he stabbed himself the wound would heal quickly. The thought that someone else would wander into his room and step on it caused Kol to laugh out loud.

"Kol what are laughing at?" Rebekah questioned her brother. She was standing in the doorway with one manicured hand on her hip and one sculpted eyebrow arched.

"Nothing that you need to worry about, dear sister." Kol replied, a smile spreading across his features his eyes lighting up once more. He practically skipped toward his sister, as her gaze changed from one of inquiry to one of alarm as Kol slid one arm around her shoulders and led her down the hallway.

"Kol," Rebekah attempted to shrug his arm off. However, every time she achieved her goal he would slide it back again a split second later as he physically guided her down the stairs into the living room. "Kol," she began again, "What are you doing and why on earth are you trying to include me?"

Kol turned to his sister with the most innocent of grins. She only pursed her lips, looking down her nose at him. "Can't a brother simply want to spend quality time with his sister? Is that so wrong, Rebekah, darling, favorite, sister? You see it all the time on these TV programs. Dear god, Bekah, if you don't spend time with me I may become an at risk youth! It is your duty to spend time with me as a good sibling. I am after all a growing boy and I might begin to experiment. What will you do then? When you have to see your beloved brother lying in the streets having taken a strange substance one night at a party and never returning home. What will you tell Klaus or Elijah? And all because you didn't have the time to spend with your poor lonely brother." At this point Kol was on his knees in front of Rebekah, his eyes full of unshed tears and his lower lip quivering.

"Oh, cut the crap, Kol. You must be utterly knackered if you think for a moment I believe any of this 'Oh, I just want to spend time with you.' Number one, I am your only sister. Number two, you are a thousand years old and are far from being an at risk youth. If you were to say that you ate an at risk youth. Now, that I would believe. But I have a party I am going to tonight and need to buy an outfit for the occasion. I do not have the time for another one of your mental breakdowns." With that she put on her sunglasses, removed her hand from her brother's death grip and flashed out the door.

Now that Rebekah was gone Kol would just have to entertain himself. He considered the thought of raiding Elijah's closet and giving all of his suits to the local homeless. However, as much as he relished in the thought of Elijah attempting to compel men who already had nothing into giving him his clothing back and then giving up realizing that the suits were really not that important. In fact, maybe these men could sell them and be able to purchase food and or a better form of shelter. That made Kol shudder to think that he might be doing something nice. 'Come, to think of it,' he thought, 'I do believe that Mayor Lockwood had relocated the city's homeless to another city. It had something to with making the town a safer environment for children or some such nonsense.' Kol shrugged, 'Oh, well. I'll think of something."

He absentmindedly plopped down on the couch and switched the TV on. 'I'm surprised that Niklaus even has a TV given his claim to being cultured and all that." He settled into the couch watching it lost in his own thoughts. 'Well, maybe it has something to do with that little blond cheerleader and the doppelgänger." Kol had wondered why Klaus had developed a sudden affinity for watching high school football. It was around the time that the TV had been installed, along with the DVD player. Klaus would send one of his minions out to tape the Mystic Falls football games but most of the footage ended up being of the cheerleaders and specifically two cheerleaders, Elena Gilbert and Caroline Forbes. Once in a while the camera would focus on another cheerleader, a young witch (although she had yet to tap into her powers) Bonnie Bennett. When Bonnie came on the screen Kol found himself leaning forward on the couch. He appreciated how the cheerleading outfit hugged her slight frame and made the best of her curves. He had to stop himself from clapping whenever she did the splits. One day he was hoping that they could meet in person and she could perform a routine for him in private. This is why he sometimes took the DVDs back to his bedroom with him.

Suddenly something on the television caught his attention. He turned the volume up as Andie Starr announced that the local fast food restaurant, Mystic Burger, would be closing its doors that Friday. "The Mystic Burger would have been open for the last fifty years but due to the economy the owner was seeing less and less of a profit. He stated that the families of Mystic Falls had begun to eat at home and he did not blame them. He also stated that to attract a new set of clientele he had tried to add new health items to the menu. This only speeded up the process of needing to close the doors of this store. The health items were more expensive and I could not pay my crew less. If I did I would be violating the law." As the young reporter concluded her story Kol's thoughts swirled.

Before Kol had fully developed his plan, he was already out the door and halfway across the town. He stood at the edge of the Mystic Burger parking lot staring at a small family who were climbing into their car. Two small children with their parents. 'How sweet.' Kol thought as his stomach growled and he stopped himself from tearing their throats out. That was not what he was there for. He approached a young woman who slumped in front of the store, a cigarette in one hand a cellphone in the other. She had a uniform on with Mystic Burger written in small letters on the left side of her shirt above her left breast, he could hear her heart pitter pattering in her chest. 'Too many cigarettes,' he thought. They make human's hearts speed up. He resented this fact, because he preferred to be the one causing this effect before he drained their blood. His smile slid into place as the young woman, little more than a girl, really, looked up as his shadow fell across her. "Hello, there. I'm Kol Mikaelson. I'm terribly sorry to be interrupting your break but I was looking for the owner of this store. Do you know if he would possibly be here, today?" He deepened his accent, full well knowing how American girls seemed to love a foreign accent.

She looked at him skeptically while crushing out her cigarette. "Yes, he's been in since before they announced that we're closing down. I'll let him know that you want to speak to him." She began to push herself to her feet and was surprised when Kol held out a hand to her. She took his hand and he pulled her up, taking extra care to be gentle with her. He would happily find her later and reward her for her kindness. The thought made him smile wider as they entered the store. His nostrils filled instantly with the smell of cleaning products, raw meat, over cooked meat, sweat and grease. Although they weren't his favorite smells they were not all together unpleasant and he thought that he could adjust. His eyes sparkled as he took in the expanse of the dining room and he could smell the crew member in the back of the restaurant who had recently cut her finger and was attempting to place a band aid over the wound. 'Yes, perish the thought that blood would get into someone's Mystic Burger or shake.' There were just too many possibilities and Kol was beginning to feel giddy. He was like a child in a candy store and he had no idea what flavor he wanted to try as he examined the crew. 'So, many flavors so little time. Oh, who am I kidding, I have all the time in the world.'

Kol was momentarily distracted when the young crew member from before tapped him on the shoulder. "Mr. Mikaelson?" She looked up at him.

"Yes." He said to Cigarette girl.

Mr. Thompson is ready to speak with you.

"Thank you," Kol replied giving the girl one last grin before he made his way to the back of the store.

Thompson looked up from his paper work when Kol arrived at the table. "Hello, Kol." He took in the younger man's attire, a button down shirt and pair of jeans. "If you're looking for a job, I'll have to say, I'm sorry, but we're not hiring. We're in the process of shutting the store down at end of the week." He returned his gaze to the paper work in front of him with some reluctance.

"Actually, Mr. Thompson," Kol pulled out a chair and sat down crossing his legs. "I would like to purchase your store." Kol beamed at the perplexed look on the older man's face. He truly thought the man would have a coronary. 'Oh well,' he thought, 'either way this store will reopen under new management next Monday or my name is not Kol Mikaelson."

**I hope you enjoyed this first chapter because this story is not ending any time soon. **** The nest chapter will switch to Elena's perspective and then the baton toss of** **perspectives begins. Laugh, love, enjoy fiction. Please review when you get the chance. It means a lot. Also favorite and follow if you love this story. **


	2. Chapter 2

**One little note: I noticed that there were three misspellings in the summary, the words restaurant, opportunity, and Mikaelson. I wanted to apologize for rushing and not double checking. Other than that I hope that you are all enjoying the story so far. Oh, yes, I must also add that I do not own The Vampire Diaries, unfortunately.**

Chapter 2: Of Blood and Milkshakes

Elena Gilbert and her best friends, Bonnie Bennett and Caroline Forbes, had been driving around aimlessly for a couple of hours now. It was the first week of their vacation between junior and senior years. They were all enjoying the time off from the hectic pace of work and adjustment issues. This was especially true for Elena because this was the first summer since her parents had drowned after their car sped off of Wickery Bridge. It was a wonder that Elena had survived and that she was again behind the wheel. However, given the fact that Caroline had decided that the vacation meant drinking during the day was a high priority, it became necessary for Elena to drive. Elena glanced in the rear view mirror at the aforementioned reigning Miss Mystic Falls, who was sporting a pair of sunglasses, her feet propped against the back of Bonnie's seat with a thermos filled with a fruity alcoholic substance of the girl's making, which she had clutched between her hands. Elena couldn't help but smile at the reflection of her friend, even though she desperately wanted to tell Caroline to straighten up and put her seat belt back on. 'But you only live once. Right?' she thought, her left hand coming up to push a lock of brown hair behind her ear.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Caroline suddenly lunged forward from the backseat, reaching for the dial of the radio. "I love this song" she shouted in Elena's and Bonnie's ears. Each girl leaned away from their perky, but more than slightly drunk friend. Elena and Bonnie both unrolled a window of Elena's car and began to sing along. Caroline, for her part, belted out the tune while leaning back arching her back slightly and yawning. In her relaxed state she almost missed seeing the sign signaling that they were approaching the Mystic Burger. She leaped forward again. "Elllenaaa," she squealed into her friend's ear. "You know what sounds really good now?" Her lips were spread into a gigantic grin.

Elena tuned her face ever so slightly to Caroline, matching her friend's grin. "Yes, Care?"

"Mmm… remember when we were little and used to go to the Mystic Burger to collect the newest toys. And they had the best burgers, fries and shakes under twenty dollars?" Her eyes were glowing from past memories of their experiences.

"And there was the time that there was a Santa Claus that one year and Jeremy pulled his beard down. Ended up kicking the guy in the shin and accused him of kidnapping the real Santa and holding him hostage somewhere." Bonnie added, flushing thinking of a now grown Gilbert boy.

"Yeah," Elena laughed, her whole body shaking, a tear running down one cheek. "He was so upset that my parents went out that year and bought some video games that they had insisted were too expensive. I was livid because I couldn't think of something that would cause them to give me better gifts. I got socks and a new Barbie…" She became quiet as she thought about her parents. Pushing the thought away, a smirk began to replace the anguish. "Oh, I just thought of a good one." She sneaked a peak at Caroline, who was eyeing their destination with a single-minded anticipation. "Bonnie," she said in a sing-song lilt, while Bonnie turned to her friend waiting for her to continue. "Do you remember when we were eight and the Mystic Burger was offering, for a limited time, mind you, miniature princess Barbie dolls. You, me and Caroline just had to have them." Caroline was still not paying attention to the conversation. She was sipping her drink and humming to the music but Elena knew there was a part of Caroline who knew where this story was headed. "Well, we were having a sleep over that night at Caroline's house and Liz took us to collect our toys." Caroline was now staring at Elena, her eyes narrowed, sunglasses lying next to her. "So, we got out toys and Caroline was bragging that hers was the prettiest because she was the prettiest. She wasn't paying attention and slipped on a spilled drink. She fell and somehow, her pretty doll ended up lodged in her nose."

There was complete silence for a couple of minutes before both, Elena and Bonnie burst into torrents of laughter. "Ha, ha, you guys." Caroline said, her arms crossed over her chest, her lower lip puckered out. "I will have you know that was a painful and traumatic experience."

"Oh, come on, Care," Bonnie turned to her best friend. "It happened like a million years ago. And think about it, it's not like you wouldn't find it funny if it had happened to me or 'Lena, right?" She gave Caroline a tentative smile.

Caroline huffed and turned to look out the window. After a while, her expression brightened. "You know what, you're right, Bonnie. I probably would have found it funny if either you or Elena fell on a hard plastic object, which lodged itself inside your nasal cavity and broke cartilage so that you had to have a nose job before your sixteenth birthday." Before either of her so-called friends could apologize. She decided it was time for a story of her own. Grinning widely, she placed a foot on either side of Bonnie's head so that the other girl would have to face forward. "Do you guys remember the time that we went to Oregon to see the Cary Brothers in concert? And Elena, you got soooo drunk. I kept asking if you needed to go to the restroom before we left and you said you were fine. It seemed like you were until about half an hour before it ended and … OMG… you peed your pants." Caroline started to giggle as Elena's grip on the wheel tightened and her face turned scarlet. Bonnie tried desperately to stop herself before she snorted in laughter and finally gave in. Elena turned her head to the right to give Bonnie a death glare while Bonnie convulsed with laughter. "Eyes on the road 'Lena," Caroline called from the behind her.

"That was not funny you guys. That happened last week." Elena snapped as she parked in the Mystic Burger parking lot. Caroline jumped out of the car and came around to wrap an arm around Elena, who refused to look up at her. Bonnie came around the other side of the car and wrapped her arm around Elena's waist. Before the girl in the middle knew what was happening her friends had her wrapped in an impromptu hug.

"We love you, 'Lena," Bonnie whispered.

"Yeah we do," Caroline said as Bonnie let go and walked toward the door. Caroline held Elena back for a moment. "Oh, and Elena I still have that Barbie. So, if you ever tell that story again I will show you what it's like to have one jammed up your nose. Elena stood in shock as Caroline sauntered into the restaurant, thanking Bonnie as she walked in through the open door.

Bonnie gave Elena a questioning look as Elena walked up to the door. "What was that about?" Bonnie asked having had the impression that the fight was over.

Elena shrugged, "Oh, nothing. Caroline just told me that she still has the Barbie."

Bonnie allowed the door to close behind her, puzzled by the cryptic remark. It dawned on her as she joined Elena and Caroline at the counter what Elena was alluding to. 'Oh, Care,' she thought, frowning, 'she's so sensitive.' Not that that was a bad trait. It was just that Bonnie wondered how many times Caroline was hurt and didn't show it. Yes, she had no problem telling people off. But that did not mean that there weren't times that she hid behind the sunshiny exterior and let things fester.

"Earth to Bonnie," Caroline was waving a hand in front of her face, which she grabbed mid wave and pulled down. "I wanted to know what you wanted. I'm in a generous mood. So, I thought I'd buy you guys' lunch. Just don't buy too much. I only brought a twenty and you need to fit in your uniform next year." Caroline said, while examining her friends as if she could already see them pooping out of their uniforms, like something out of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. She imagined Elena turning pink, while the girl sipped innocently at her strawberry milkshake. In her mind the pink Elena began to swell, was now floating off the ground and was now bumping up against the roof of store. 'Oh God,' she thought, 'she's about to explode.' Bonnie turned her gaze to the floor shuddering.

"Bonnie," Caroline called. Caroline was standing at the door, sunglasses back in place, chocolate milkshake in one hand, bag with burger and fries in the other. She was gesturing for Bonnie to collect her chicken sandwich, chips and vanilla milkshake, so that they could leave. As she collected her things she noticed that Elena was talking animatedly with an older gentleman. She recognized him but couldn't remember why. Then it hit her. That's the owner, Mr. Thompson. He was on the news this week talking about how he would have to close the store. As Bonnie approached the pair she overheard Elena saying that it was wonderful that the store would be staying open.

Elena turned to Bonnie when her friend approached. "Hey, Bonnie. Mr. Thompson was just telling me that the store will be staying open after all." She turned back to Thompson, "I'm so happy to hear that news. My friends and I have been coming here for a long time."

"Yes," Mr. Thompson replied, "I thought you girls looked familiar and if you're interested the new owner said he'll be looking for a few new employees. We can get busy during the summer months and it's always a good way to make a little extra cash." He handed Elena a handful of applications. "Feel free to give these to your friends," he smiled pleasantly enough, but there was just something off. Bonnie couldn't put her finger on it as she starred at the owner. It was like this speech was rehearsed, which isn't strange because he was probably used to doing this. However, what seemed weird would be, 'Why would the soon to be former owner be trying to recruit new help for the new owner? Couldn't the new guy put up a sign or something?"

Bonnie was shaken out of her thoughts when she felt a hand on her arm. Caroline was giving Mr. Thompson her most well practiced Miss Mystic Falls smile. "I'm sorry. But we are very late." She pulled Bonnie by the arm while pushing Elena toward the door. Elena was waving good-bye, while Bonnie was still drifting in her thoughts. "Seriously, what is wrong with people? I mean all you want is some food and to go out and enjoy the sunshine." She looked up at the sky and it was beginning to darken. "Or what's left of it and hang out with your friends." She growled, looking from Elena to Bonnie. "Are you guys even listening to me? And what are these?" She pulled the applications from Elena's hand. "You have got to be kidding me. He actually thought you wanted a job in that place?" she scoffed. "And why did he give you so many? Did he think you were going to decorate your walls with them?"

Caroline started to throw the applications in the garbage when Elena reached out and snatched them back. "Actually, I was thinking that a summer job might not be such a bad idea." Caroline folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the car about to argue when Elena held up a hand. "Look, ever since Aunt Jenna started taking care of me and Jeremy she's been working really hard and I was thinking that maybe I could save some money this summer and do something nice for her." Bonnie thought about it and mentally agreed that it would be nice to be able to do something nice for her Grams and what else was she going to do with her free time.

Caroline was staring at her feet. "My mom, works a lot." Although, she and her mom did not always get along, well they rarely got along, it would b nice to be able to do something for her mom. As she thought about it she suddenly had a perfect idea. "Elena, can I please have one of those applications?" She had already pushed her sunglasses up and was digging for a pen. Elena held an application out to Caroline, who took it and began to fill it out on the hood of Elena's car.

After the three girls finished they walked back in and returned their filled out applications. "I have the perfect idea of what we should do with the money," Caroline declared once they were outside. She could barely contain her glee as she held her hands in front of her. "We take our parents and parental figures on a trip. Somewhere sunshiny and warm. Doesn't that sound like the best way to end a summer vacation? Of course, we can ditch the parental units once we get there."

Elena did not want to crush Caroline's mood but she thought they should be practical. "How are we going to come up with enough money?"

"Well, at the end of the summer we'll pool our joined income together. We can get Matt, Tyler and Jeremy to join us. We'll all work as many hours as we're allowed to and can stand to work. At the end of each week we'll see how much we've earned and then compare that to how much we need. Come on guys, this is going to be one of our last summers together before college. We have to make the most of the time we have together." Caroline's level of enthusiasm, as usual, was infectious.

In the end they all agreed and climbed into the car to go eat a late lunch on the football field of Mystic Falls High. They left the parking lot with the radio turned up pouring out music and their laughter filling the air. They didn't see Kol Mikealson, having just finished his own late lunch, dropping the body in a dumpster behind the store and strolling up to the spot the car had been in moments before. A grin spread across his face and he thought, "Well, this is going to be an interesting summer, indeed." He walked away, whistling, looking forward to the next week when he would meet his new employees in person. He headed in the direction of the Mikaelson mansion hoping that he would come across an early evening jogger. After all, he was still feeling peckish and his having drained half of the crew of Mystic Burger did not seem to hit the spot. Oh, it was true what they say: "Good help is hard to find." He laughed aloud strolling slowly down the street of a residential neighborhood.

**I wanted to thank everyone who has placed this story in their favorites, follows and/or reviews. Look forward to Klaroline in chapter 4. Feel free to review when you can. And I will be updating twice a week. If I don't, you can PM me and I will try to add the next chapter ASAP.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Note: To clear up any confusion about this story this is not a Kolena as a couple fic. I hope this does not disappoint too many people who have been reading this story so far. I choose to use the names Kol, Elena, Caroline and Elijah because each is moving toward a better understanding of family and friendship. They will find their love interests for the untitled sequel, which will be written as soon as this story is completed. End of note. **

Chapter 3: You bought a what?

Kol waltzed through the entrance to the Mikaelson mansion feeling satisfied with the events of the day. He had purchased his first business, had several meals (including a lovely young female jogger and male companion on the walk home) and now he was looking forward to a quiet night with his family. 'Yes, quiet' he thought. Actually, it was too quiet at the moment. "What are my darling siblings up to, now?" He stated this question aloud in the hopes that someone would answer and he could track them down. Unfortunately for Kol, his siblings did not seem to be in the mood to make things easy on him tonight. 'Well, that works too, I do enjoy the chase.'

Kol entered the living room expecting to find no one there. However, his older brother, Elijah, sat in a chair, brandy in hand, staring intently into the fire. Kol stood silently in the doorway waiting for his brother to address him. When Elijah chose to continue to stare at the fire Kol suddenly sped toward his brother, leapt into the air and landed directly in Elijah's lap. "'Lijah, will you read me a bed time story?" he asked, throwing his arms around his brother's neck and looking imploringly into his eyes.

In response Elijah peeled his younger brother's arms from his neck and stood up. Kol fell to the floor and watched as his brother exited the room in a matter of seconds. This reaction did not surprise Kol, but he did expect Elijah to at least yell at him. He was now feeling an emotion that he wasn't comfortable with: concern. Or, more likely, it was curiosity. Now, as he followed Elijah down the hall and into the kitchen, he desired nothing more than to know what was wrong with his brother and how he could exacerbate it. When Elijah pulled out a blood bag, turned and began to stride back down the hall to the living room, it dawned on Kol what was wrong with Elijah. 'Well, I can fix that.'

Kol flashed out the backdoor and was back in the living room in less than ten minutes. He held a teenage girl by the waist, who was swaying to music that only she seemed to hear. He took in the appearance of his other older brother, Klaus, sitting on a couch, sketch pad in his lap. His brow was furrowed in concentration as he filled the paper. Rather than attempting to cause Klaus to ruin his work in progress, Kol decided to deal with his Elijah problem first.

"'Lijah," Kol moved in front of his brother who was sitting in the same manner and in the same position that he had found him in twelve minutes ago. "I brought you something, 'Lijah." He turned to the girl and beckoned her toward him. She swayed over to him, a dreamy smile on her face. "This is Natalie. She just finished her junior year at Mystic Falls High and she dreams of playing the cello professionally. She also smells divine." He pulled Natalie forward and placed her on Elijah's knee, pulling her long black hair back to expose her long neck.

"Have a taste, brother, or drain her. What do I care, just snap out of this funk, you're bringing the whole spirt in this home down. I mean look at Nik over there doodling. His only aspiration in life is to break the curse. He has no friends and I'm not sure he has had sex since Tatia walked the earth. What is it the young people would call it…" He turned his head toward Klaus, who was ignoring him, sketching away. "I know, he would be re-virginized. Yes, Nik, your maidenhood is back intact and you don't have to worry about what your husband will think on the wedding night." Klaus continued to sketch, ignoring him completely.

Kol was becoming unnerved as his brothers continued to ignore him. Elijah wasn't drinking his gift. Klaus had not slammed him into a wall and threatened to dagger him for another century. "What the bloody hell is going on around here," he bellowed in a rage. Klaus, having finished his sketch, picked up his glass of whiskey and left the room, not once looking in Kol's direction. Elijah, got up, pulling young Natalie to her feet, and he looked deeply into her eyes and told her to go home.

"Do not ever trust young men with British accents, again." Elijah told Natalie and then escorted her to the door.

Kol sat down on the floor. He was now wondering where it had all gone so wrong. Nik couldn't be that upset about the brushes. This wasn't the first time that Kol had taken something that belonged to his brother and that shouldn't be causing him to ignore him entirely. As for Elijah, he had been acting odd ever since Kol had walked in the door. "Is it that time of the month?" he inquired as Elijah re-entered the room.

Elijah had had his head down but now it came up. He stared directly into Kol's eyes, his gaze unwavering. Not even a hint of a smile appeared on his face. "Kol, we need to talk."

Kol stared at his brother with eyes the size of saucers. "Oh god, 'Lijah," he whimpered from the floor, drawing his knees to his chest. "You're breaking up with me. Aren't you?"

Elijah shook his head. "Kol, Niklaus has grown tired of your antics and has decided that you needed to find new accomodations." Elijah looked down at his little brother wondering if this was the best idea but he had to admit that lately Kol had become more and more erratic. It seemed that every day there was something new. It was not as if they did not have enough problems with Niklaus and his obsession with breaking the curse but then there was Rebekah trying to have a "normal" life.

Elijah was startled out of his thoughts when he saw a figure blur out of the room and the sudden sound of something heavy hitting the floor upstairs. Then there was a loud shout, followed by another bang. Elijah was speeding up the stairs before he had thought through his course of action. When he entered Klaus' studio the room was a mess and both brothers were covered in various colors of paint. Kol currently had Klaus by the throat and was choking him. "You think you can just evict me. Throw me out on the streets like a mangy dog, an unwanted spouse or child. I will not stand for it, Nik. I bring this family joy. You and Elijah and Bekah are as boring as watching paint dry. Hell, combined you're worse. You're like watching water boil or Stephan Salvatore do anything. I will not leave. I refuse to leave. Do you hear me, Nik? Do you?" He was now banging his older brother's head against the floor with each word, fueled by rage.

"Enough!" Elijah exploded. He grabbed Kol, pulling him off his middle brother and threw him against a wall. Klaus immediately jumped to his feet, ready to meet violence with violence.

Elijah placed a hand on Klaus', chest knowing that if he did not diffuse the situation at that very moment, Kol would be back in a coffin within the hour. He turned to Klaus, taking him by the shoulders, as his brother's shoulders heaved with barely constrained fury. "Klaus, Kol and I will clean the studio and Kol will replace any materials which were destroyed. Afterward, I will have a discussion with Kol about living arrangements." This did very little to change Klaus' mood but his breathing began to even out and he grabbed a rag to wipe the green, red and blue paint now decorating his face and shirt, as well as his pants.

"You're lucky I have other things to attend to Brother." Klaus looked at Kol, darkly standing in front of his brother with an inch between them. When Kol finally lowered his gaze, Klaus smirked, clasping his hands behind his back before he left the room. Kol suppressed his laughter when he noticed the green hand print, which made it seem as if someone had grabbed his brother's arse. The print had come from Klaus rolling onto his own hand during the fight.

Elijah and Kol cleared the mess in the studio up to the best of their combined abilities. However, there were ripped sketches and a torn painting which Klaus had created later in the eighteenth century. 'It wasn't his best work. However, for Niklaus that painting must have meant something. He would place a call to a friend in Vienna and see if it could be restored,' Elijah thought. Shaking his head Elijah led Kol back down to their living room.

"Kol," Elijah began, his hands behind his back. His back could not be straighter if it were ironed and starched. "We have had this discussion every hundred years, it seems and I do not see why." Elijah was looking at a spot above his brother's head, his brows knit together. "Kol, it is necessary that you begin to show some sign of maturity. You are a thousand years old and honestly, I have met better behaved infants." With this Elijah's gaze moved to his brother's eyes. There was a hint of a spark there. Elijah, though he found some of Kol's activities mind boggling, he still loved his brother although it would take a bit for him to verbalize this sentiment.

Kol looked at Elijah trying his utmost to not scream that they were being ridiculous. "Elijah, brother, I know that I have a playful side that you, Nik and Bekah cannot quite understand but what am I to do? All of you have your own lives and I need to entertain myself." He did not want to sound pleading. Kol Mikaelson did not plead unless it was a joke.

Elijah sighed, "Kol you have been out of control. You spiked all of Niklaus' alcohol with vervain. You sold one of his oldest works on eBay to a family in China for less than the equivalent of two cents here in the States. You put purple hair dye in Rebekah's hair conditioner. And when she brought a human boy home last month, you drained him the next night and put him in her bed with her. You could hear her screams for miles." He stopped in mid-speech when he heard Kol chuckling. After he gave Kol a hard look the younger man put up his hands. "As for me you posted my profile on . I still cannot seem to get those people to leave me alone. And you cut up my best suits so that you could: "Help make costumes for the children at the local elementary school's pageant."

"'Lijah these were just little jokes. You all need to come off of your high horses, already. You've ridden them into the ground and just keep going. And Rebekah, especially, needs to stop riding. I do believe I have seen her out with a new boy every night. Tsk, tsk. Now, if you're neglecting your duties to anyone, it would be our dear sister. She is going to be known around her school as the free…" Kol stopped mid-sentence when he was suddenly thrown across the room.

Rebekah stood on the other side of the room, her fangs bared and her hair mussed, from what Kol could only assume were the activities that he had just been discussing. "Ah, Bekah, finally home from your study session. Did you get a lot of work done?" Kol grinned at his sister as she glared at him.

"Rebekah," Klaus called from upstairs.

"Just a minute, Nik," she called, her voice light. She turned back to Kol her voice turning venomous. "Shut it or I will rip out your tongue out and feed it to you."

"Love you, too, Sister," Kol called to her retreating form.

Kol's attention returned to Elijah who had finished his speech and was now looking at Kol expectantly.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Well, try doing something that an adult would do," Elijah responded, his voice stern.

Kol thought, 'That does not sound fun.' And then it occurred to him. "Uhh, I know." He held up his arm like he was in a grade school, bouncing up and down. "I purchased a restaurant, today." He beamed at his brother waiting for the glowing compliments. When they were not immediately forthcoming, he glowered at Elijah. 'He asks me to do something mature. I do it and now look at him. It's like he was made of rock. Well, that would explain a few things.'

Elijah was astounded. Of all the things he thought he would hear this was not one of them. "Why would you do that, Kol?"

"Well, I was sitting in my room and I was bored so I came downstairs and there was this news item about the Mystic Burger shutting down and I suddenly wanted to know what it would be like to have my own little business. You know, something simple. I could interact with the citizens of Mystic Falls and get out of your hair. Since, you lot, obviously do not want me around."

Elijah sat down heavily into, what had become his chair for the night. He thought about it until a smile spread across his face. "Yes, Kol, this is a brilliant opportunity for you to learn how to behave in a responsible fashion. And if you'll have me I would like to help you."

Kol looked down at his big brother. "Really."

"Yes," the brothers smiled at each other genuinely for the first time in what felt like a very long time. Elijah was thinking that this would be his opportunity to show Kol how to do something he could look back on with pride. 'Yes, we will make this into a real business venture.'

Kol, on the other hand, was thinking about how he could convince Nik and Bekah to join the team to make this a summer they would all remember for a very, very long time.

**Thank you to my fans, those in my favorites, follows and who have reviewed this story. A special thank you goes out to imswiminfootwear** **for the lovely reviews. I would also like to thank lee1280 for the review of chapter, which I do believe I forgot to say last time. I would also like to thank immortalpen who was one of the lovely authors who was kind enough to take the time to check out the work of a new writer.** **For anyone out there who is reading, please feel free to leave a review. I accept creative criticism. Please let me know what you like, don't like or if you think I'm taking a little too long to get these young people to work (secret fear). However, I promise Elena, Caroline and Bonnie will begin work at 'Amp Burger in chapter 6. In the meantime I'm trying to set up some tensions. So, please be patient with me. The real fun is just around the corner. Oh, and for the Klaroline shippers out there the next chapter is for you. It will be posted on Thursday. Until then read, review and remember the sunblock if you're in a warm climate. This is sure to be a hot summer. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello Fans of this story. I want to apologize for re-posting the first chapter instead of the third. And I do not know if this has happened to any of my fellow authors out there but after I posted Monday's chapter I have not been able to find the story in the list on either the mobile site or the regular site. I'm hoping that changes when I post this chapter today. I've been checking my email and noticed the new favorites and followers and I would like thank them now. Enjoy the Klaroline. **

Chapter 4: First Encounters

Klaus Mikaelson had had enough of his younger brother for the night and had decided to go for a walk. As he walked by the living room he saw that Elijah and Kol were deep in conversation. 'Well, at least I will be rid of my Kol problem soon enough,' Klaus thought, his back stiffening and his eyes narrowing. Neither of his brothers seemed to notice him slip out the front door and walk out into the night.

He wandered aimlessly for a bit before he found himself nearing Mystic Falls High School. 'Now, why would I want to waste more of my precious time on this ground,' Mid-thought he heard the sounds of young girls' voices. They were chattering happily about something only Rebekah would seem to take pleasure in these days. He had been remiss this last year in allowing Elijah and Rebekah to influence his plans.

It seemed as if he was losing his touch. He had allowed Elijah to convince him that he needed to plan more carefully how he would capture the doppelgänger and break this bloody curse. He growled in frustration. What was worse was Rebekah's sudden desire to have a "normal" life. It seemed that his little sister had grown tired of immortality and wanted to go to high school. She wanted friends, boys and dances. It made him sick to watch his sister putting on this show. Their existence was a gift.

Unfortunately, that was not what she wanted at the moment. She wanted to be like the girls he was listening to. It would be his pleasure to suck each of these useless little humans dry. He moved swiftly toward the football field, not at vamp speed because he wanted to take his time with these three stupid girls. It was not until he was at the end of the bleachers that he realized that he was staring at the doppelgänger and her friends.

That would be his luck. Whereas, he could simply move in, suck her friends dry and compel her to forget his being there, he couldn't. It was not because he was afraid of the young Bennett witch, who had yet to tap into her powers. It was, in fact, the blond who was currently doing cartwheels. Her yellow sundress fell down reveling a taught pale stomach and pale pink panties. She was now doing a head stand with a gigantic smile on her face as her friends shook their heads, laughing. He found himself chuckling at Miss Forbes' antics. The first time he had encountered the girl was eleven months and twenty-five days ago. He had not been in a pleasant mood when Rebekah had called him and informed him that he needed to come and pick her up from school. "Dear sister, as much as the thought of being surrounded by a mass of hormones and angst, I would rather not." He smirked, while holding the phone to his ear.

"Nik, could you do this very small thing for me," Rebekah's voice had lowered audibly.

Klaus was frowning now. "Have you tried asking Elijah or maybe one of the girls you seem to be hanging out with lately. Perhaps the lovely, Miss Elena Gilbert." The idea of the doppelgänger giving his sister a ride home from school made him smile.

Rebekah was pouting on her side of the line. "Elijah is busy doing something and none of the girls are willing to do anything for me thanks to that little bitch, Caroline Forbes. Let alone your little obsession, Elena."

Klaus ran a hand down his face in frustration. "Fine, I will do this. This time, Bekah." He hung up after hearing her squeal of delight.

It did not take him long to arrive on the grounds of Mystic Falls High. However, his sister was not waiting for him outside. He had assumed she would be and he did not relish the thought of moving through the waves of young humans. His ears perked up when he heard something that sounded like his sister coming from one of the buildings. He quickly found himself entering the auditorium in which a group of young people were decorating the walls and ceiling.

He suddenly heard a voice shouting at the young people and they suddenly began moving quicker. "No, no, no. Tyler and Matt, I said the drinks table had to be close to the right wall, not flush against it. Am I supposed to do it, myself?" The girl in question was wearing a short, black hip hugging skirt, a turquoise tank top, with a little form fitting white jacket on. Her hair bounced in light waves and her eyes were made larger by her look of exasperation as she looked on at the scene before her. "God," she muttered, placing her hand on the back of her neck, "if they ruin this I'm going to kill them all."

Klaus could not help the smile that spread across his face. This mere girl had a fiery temper. And he enjoyed watching another born leader in action. That was before he noticed his sister sitting dejectedly attempting to paint some sort of decoration. His sister may have many talents but painting was not one of them. "Bekah," he said under his breath, knowing that she could hear him.

She looked up and began to stand and leave, but he shook his head. She sat back down pouting. "We will come back later and I will finish the decorations for you. How does that sound, love." She barely contained the happy grin which spread across her face.

The young beauty was now strolling around the room inspecting everyone's work. As she swept past Klaus he resisted the urge to reach out and touch her. She and Rebekah exchanged a quick word. Soon, Rebekah was walking away from the conversation with a dark look. "Let's go, Nik," she demanded, grabbing his shirt sleeve and pulling him with her. "I am going to kill Caroline Forbes. She is an absolutely horrid person."

"Hmm," Klaus said thinking of the blonde in the auditorium. "Who is this Caroline, you speak of with such fondness?" Klaus asked linking his fingers behind his back as he followed his sister, who was storming through the groups of teens, who had yet to vacate.

"She was the blonde with a big mouth. She thinks she's the boss of every one she encounters. Oh, Nik, I have to kill her. She is driving me crazy. And she is preventing me from bonding with the other girls." She turned to see that her brother was frowning at his feet. She stared at him trying to decipher what the look on his face meant. "Oh God. Oh Nik, you wouldn't. Not her of all people."

His head snapped up and he starred at his sister in bewilderment, cocking his head to the side. "Bekah, what are you talking about?"

She whirled around and was in front of him in seconds. "You like her. You saw her once and already she is in your head." She turned around, stomping toward the car. "My brothers and their bloody women."

Klaus watched his sister walk away. She was wrong. He had no interest in a human. The only human he was interested in was Elena and that was only because she would be instrumental in breaking his curse after centuries. No, he most certainly did not like Caroline Forbes. Although, she was pretty.

Klaus found that he could not take his eyes off the young woman as she began to dance around the field. She pulled each of her friends to their feet and they began to do an impromptu dance routine. He found himself climbing the bleachers and taking a seat in the back so that he could watch the blonde. She seemed to be full of life. Her cheeks were glowing a flushed pink and she was beaming. He knew that he had to capture her in this moment.

He pulled the bag he had brought with him up to his side and removed his sketch pad. He began to draw Caroline as he had seen her a moment ago, her head tossed back in laughter. He was so focused on his work that he did not notice the orange blossoms perfume and steady heartbeat making its way up the bleachers. He became aware of her presence when she was three rows from him. This was quite an achievement for any creature, to be able to sneak up on Klaus Mikaelson, but it was due to his concentration on the sketch. He did not still in his movements waiting for her to make the first move.

"Hi," Caroline said, she was sitting on the bleacher in front of the one he was sitting on. She swung her legs so that she was in his personal space. She only tucked her feet in so that she could place her head on her knees. She was grinning up at him. For the first time in a thousand years Klaus was shocked. He was not shocked that this human girl was sitting in front of him with an air of openness he not had experienced in a very, very long time. No, he assumed this was due to her not knowing that he was a vampire. What shocked him were the emotions that he felt looking at this girl.

Caroline giggled at this man looking down at her like he did not know what to make of her. No man had looked at her the way he was looking at her, right now. She had spotted him with his sketch book and decided that she needed to know what mystery guy was sketching so intensely at this time of the evening. "So," she said, attempting to peek at his sketch. "You're an artist?" It was less a question and more a statement of fact.

Klaus snapped out of his haze and leaned back against the bleacher placing the sketch pad two bleachers behind him. He turned back to the girl with the big blue eyes. "Yes, I am," he stated this with a smirk. He leaned slightly toward Caroline watching as her eyes lit up. "And you are an extraordinary young woman, who is going to change the world one day." He sat back in satisfaction as her cheeks turned pink again and her grin widened.

"Wow that is a very sweet compliment, coming from a guy who I've been talking to for all of five minutes," Caroline murmured and Klaus realized that she was flirting with him. He also realized that she had been drinking. It might have been some hours ago but he could tell that she was not altogether in control of her actions.

"So, why do you think you know me so well Mr. Mystery Guy?" She moved to reposition her legs to the right and leaned back slightly looking up at him through her eyelashes. In her state of full on flirt mode she forgot where she was sitting and leaned back. Suddenly, she was aware of her body tipping too far and the sense of empty air, rather than, wood behind her.

She closed her eyes waiting for the impact. She knew that when she arrived at the hospital that her mother would be angry when she found out that Caroline had been drinking. She also knew that Bonnie and Elena would not be happy. They had argued with her impulse to talk to the guy up on the bleachers but she had insisted that she would be fine. Besides, nothing kept Caroline from talking to a hot guy.

She opened one eye slowly, peeking out, wondering why she wasn't laying in a heap at the bottom of the bleachers when she noticed the hands grasping her shoulders. She opened both eyes and let out a shaky breath. Klaus was looking at her with an unreadable expression, as he held her shoulders. "Are you alright?" He asked her, rubbing her arms lightly.

"I'm fine, thank you," she said, smiling shakily. "You must have amazing reflexes. I thought for sure I was going to break at least one limb."

"You don't have to worry about that while I'm here," he stated this calmly, as if he was sure of his ability to protect her.

This was all very odd to Caroline but a part of her was over joyed with the idea that this man seemed to care for her. 'Oh dear, drunk brain is on the loss, again.' Caroline chuckled to herself.

Klaus cocked his head, a look of amusement playing on his features. "May I ask what is amusing you so, Sweetheart?" He still held her shoulders, although his grip had relaxed.

"Oh, nothing," she murmured looking at the bottom of the bleacher between them. "Hey, you didn't answer my question." She pinned him with a patent Caroline Forbes I will not rest until you spill the dirt look.

Klaus was amused by this girl who thought she could intimidate him into a confession. She had no idea who he was. "Well, let's just say that I am older than I look and in my years I have learned to read people, very well." His face was inches from hers and his lips so close to hers, a smirk playing across them and a light radiated from his eyes which Caroline thought told of sights far from Mystic Falls.

Caroline scoffed, "Well, if you want to play it that way." She got up and dusted off the seat of her dress and began to walk off. She held her breath as she began to walk away. 'Wait for it,' she told herself as she strolled away. She was a foot form him when she felt his hand on her wrist. He was now standing in front of her with that same unreadable expression. He looked into her eyes for a long time and reached out brushing her hair out of her face. "You are breathtaking," he whispered into her ear.

What Klaus did not tell Caroline was about the many days he had come by the school just to get a glimpse of her. He did not tell her of the times that he had compelled boys who took her out or home, to either stay away from her or to treat her well. He did not tell her about the times he watched her from the safety of the shadows have fights with her mother or of the times that she cried herself to sleep. He did not tell her that on more than one occasion he had climbed into her bedroom and laid down next to her, wrapped an arm around her as she cried in her sleep.

He told himself in the beginning that he was at the school because he was watching the doppelganger but as the months passed and he did not make a move he realized that it was the girl. The girl he could not have. The girl he should not have. She was changing him and until today they had never spoken.

At the moment Caroline was trying to understand the haunted expression that had appeared on Mystery guy's face when she heard her name being called. "Car-o-line!" She turned, her mind foggy, to see her friends at the bottom of the bleachers. They were waving and Bonnie was gesturing at her watch.

'Had they been there that long,' she wondered. She turned to the stranger in front of her not wanting to leave just yet but she also did not want to walk home. "It's been really nice talking to you but my friends want to leave and they're my ride. So…," Caroline shrugged and watched as the guy nodded, a smirk appearing on his face. He reached down, took her right hand in his left and kissed it gently. It has been an honor making your acquaintance, Miss…"

"Miss Forbes, Caroline Forbes or Miss Mystic Falls," Caroline grinned up at him. "And what did you say your say your name was?"

He bowed his head, "I'm sorry. Where are my manners tonight? My name is Klaus."

"Good night, Klaus," Caroline said softly as she began her careful descent down the bleachers to meet her friends.

"Good night, Caroline," Klaus called as she turned around and waved.

He stood with his back straight, smirk in place as he watched her go. The night had not turned out terribly after all. Elena was staring up at him as she, Caroline and Bonnie were leaving. Caroline was chattering animatedly to her friends as Bonnie nodded, a smile on her face. However, Miss Gilbert was frowning up at him. He unlaced his hands from behind his back and waved at her.

Elena blinked and then focused on the strange man Caroline had been talking to moments ago. And where did he go. She scanned the bleachers but it was like he had just disappeared. The little hairs on the back of her neck rose. "Care," she called to her friend, who was several feet in front of her now. "Who was that guy?"

"Oh, he's Klaus. And he is such a sweet guy. He said the most amazing thing to me. And it's like an instant connection." Caroline was gushing and Elena tuned out the rest.

"So, you know him?" Elena asked.

Caroline turned and lifted an eyebrow. "No, no this is the first time we met. But Elena, he is so amazing and he's an artist. And I bet he's a great kisser. And I think this is it. He's the one. I wonder if he has a brother. We could plan a double date. But do not think that you're getting married first because we are going to have the most spectacular weeding Mystic Falls has ever seen."

"Really, Care? You just met the guy," Bonnie stated.

"Really, Bonnie, way to bring down the mood," Caroline replied tossing her hair over her shoulder.

"Caroline, we just don't want you to get hurt," Elena tried to reason with her friend.

Caroline sighed, turning back around to face her friends. "Look guys, we're going to be working all summer and it's not like I'm going to see the guy until the summer's over. And I wouldn't want him to see me in one of those awful outfits, anyway." Caroline shuddered at the thought as her friends hugged her.

In the meantime Klaus was strolling back to his mansion. He stopped when his phone vibrated in his pocket and he removed it reading Elijah's name on the screen. "Yes, Elijah," he was in a rather good mood and did not anticipate that anything his brother had to say would upset him. His mood shifted as he held the phone to his ear and a scowl appeared. "He did what?" he ground out. "Yes, I will be there soon." He closed his phone, his hands curling into fists. By the end of the night he fully intended on placing his younger brother back inside a box.

**Thank you to imswiminfootwear for reviewing. If you haven't already checked out this talented writer's work. I recommend Truth or Dare or Love, Hate and Friendship. As for this story there will be more Klaroline in the next chapter because I love them although the chapter is Rebekah centric. I am trying to give each of the regular characters equal time in the story. Therefore, each chapter will come from a different character's point of view. I'm sure all of you have noticed I do stay in one character's head during an entire chapter. It's almost like a baton toss and I am never sure which character is going to take over. So, hopefully you're enjoying that. The next chapter is Party till 2 am and will be the last chapter before chapter 6, Orientation day. If there is a specific character you would like to see more of or a certain perspective you would like to see, I will be happy to take requests. I will be posting a bonus chapter of Saturday. Happy reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello readers, are you ready for a party? Okay, to clear up one of the issues, I know that there have been requests for a Kolena romantic relationship. It's probably the fourth season and the antoganism between the two characters led to brutal violence. Therefore, it's difficult to wrap my head around the idea of them as a couple. However, this is a summer where things will get a little crazy and the characters are about to let loose really soon. **

Chapter 5: Party until 2 am!

There was a shout from the foyer and that is where Rebekah Mikaelson's gaze turned. Her expression was cold and her posture was stiff. This was the first summer party that she had hosted since arriving in Mystic Falls. She wanted it to be perfect. Perfection for Rebekah did not include drunken, uninvited frat boys showing up on Nik's door and causing a commotion. She moved swiftly toward the young man and waited until he turned to her.

His goofy grin faltered when he looked down at the fuming blonde standing inches from him. He looked her over, admiring the way that her short red dress showed her longs legs, made longer by a strappy pair of open-toed stilettoes. As his gaze moved back upward even in his state of full on drunk off your ass he still noticed the glint in Rebekah's eye that stated that his good time was about to come to an abrupt end.

"Oh, hey, there pretty lady. Can I get you a drink?" In his state what sounded clear in his head sounded like slurred prattle to Rebekah's.

She pointed a long manicured nail at the door. "Go," she said, as she placed one hand on her hip. But the growl that she emitted and the feral look on her face told the boy that he had needed to turn and flee. Now.

Rebekah was satisfied when she watched the boy jerk the door open, trip over his own feet and fall onto the ground, just outside the threshold. He crawled past incoming guests, who gave him bewildered looks. Her satisfaction did not last long as Caroline Forbes entered in a short black dress, which was cut low in the back and high up her right leg, the hem ended two inches above her knee and she wore silver heels with little straps. Rebekah had to grudgingly admit that Caroline had taste. Although she did not have the kind of money that Rebekah had and could not purchase the truly elegant designs. It was a small victory.

However, money could not buy everything. Rebekah sighed in frustration as she watched Bonnie Bennett and Elena Gilbert emerge from behind their friend. Bonnie wore a strappy dress which ended at her knees and scooped slightly in the front to show just the smallest amount of cleavage. It fit snuggly to her chest emphasizing a tiny waist and billowed out from the hip, giving it a little flounce. The design was white with large orange flowers which seemed to blossom on it. Her hair had obviously been styled by Caroline because it fell in a curly wave down to her shoulders, much like Caroline's own style for the night. Elena wore a simple sleeveless emerald green dress which rode mid-thigh. She wore a matching green wrap, which sat lightly on her bare shoulders. Her hair was swept into a chiffon with little pieces falling around her face.

Rebekah moved her shoulders back and put her best cheerful face forward. "Caroline, Bonnie, Elena. I am so happy that you could make it," she called to the young humans as she made her way across the room to them. Caroline looked up first, followed by Elena and Bonnie. Rebekah had to suppress the urge to roll her eyes or rip their heads off. 'Well, that isn't a bad thought. Although it would leave a terrible mess,' she pondered the demise of her fellow cheerleaders as she stood in front of them, beaming.

"Rebekah," Caroline said, in an overly loud, overly sweet manner. "This is such a great place. I can't believe you get to live here."

"Yes, I suppose one might see it as such." Rebekah allowed her gaze to move about the foyer.

Bonnie coughed causing the group to turn their attention to her. She gave Rebekah a nervous smile. "It was nice of you to invite us here. I mean there have been a lot of parties this week but they've been pretty lame so far."

Rebekah cheered up, "Then we must get you all out of the foyer, this is not where the real party is." She beckoned with a wave of her hand for the others to follow her into a large room in which champagne was being served along with other alcoholic drinks and young couples moved to the beat of a live band in a corner.

"Oh my God," Elena squealed. "This is great, Rebekah. No one has been able to get a band."

Even Caroline had to admit inwardly that she was impressed both by the turn out. (It looked like most of Mystic Falls High occupied the dance floor.) and by the elegance of the scene. 'Yes, this girl understood the word " fabulous",' she thought. When a young man walked by carrying a tray of champagne she grabbed a flute and began to sip. "This is the best champagne I have ever tasted," she exclaimed, turning to Rebekah, a grin of appreciation forming on her face.

"Thank you," Rebekah said demurely. She tried to hide how much the praise the other girls were showering her with meant to her. "Well, then I am the hostess. So, I must go and mingle with my other guests. Come and find me if you need anything." With that Rebekah turned on her heel and walked away. When she was out of ear shot she let of a squeal of joy. This party was turning out so well.

Caroline was looking around the room for a cute guy to converse with while Elena and Bonnie chattered about how work which would begin tomorrow. They had each received a call from Mr. Thompson informing that they had received positions and that they should come in at 8 am on Monday to begin orientation.

Bonnie noticed Tyler Lockwood and Matt Donovan across the room and waved to them. Elena looked up and then looked down nervously into her champagne flute when she saw Matt. It had been over a year since she and Matt had broken up and each had been on dates with other people since but nothing serious. It had seemed as if he was angry at her for a while but they were beginning to hang out again. She hoped that they could become friends again but always wondered if that would ever be enough for Matt, who, along with Tyler, were headed over to them, right now.

"Hey, Elena," Matt said, a grin appearing. He was in a button down blue shirt and jeans and he looked happy, although that might have something to do with the cup in his hand. "This is a great party, right? Who knew Bossy Becky had it in her?"

Since Rebekah Mikaelson had started attending Mystic Falls High last year the students had come up with several nicknames for her. Bossy Becky was just one of the less colorful ones. She had earned the name when she had tried to overthrow Caroline as both head cheerleader and head of her many committees. Not to mention she ran against Caroline for Miss Mystic Falls and almost won. However, this was not something that Caroline would take lying down. This was her town and she would not allow some nobody to come in and take what was hers. So, she had gone on a campaign against Rebekah. This would have caused most girls to move out of town. However, Rebekah, after being completely shunned, had come to Caroline and apologized for her actions. Caroline had forgiven but would not forget.

Right now, Caroline was enjoying the party and considering the idea of allowing Rebekah to co-chair a few committee events with her next year. What can you say, she was in a generous mood tonight. Her moodwent up another ten notches when she caught sight of a familiar head of golden, curly hair moving easily through the crowd toward one of the halls. She turned, and seeing that her friends were in the middle of a discussion with Tyler and Matt, she turned and began pushing her way through the crowd.

Three minutes later she had emerged and the subject of her quest was about to escape, turning a corner. "Klaus," she shouted, knowing that her attempt to catch his attention would be futile. Even if he was standing right next to her he probably would not be able to hear her above the noise of the students and the band. Therefore, much to her surprise, his head popped around the corner, signature smirk in place. 'God, he is so cute," she thought as she hurried to catch up with him. By the time she arrived at the end of the hallway he had come back around the corner and was holding a hand out to her. She placed her hand in his outstretched one, and he escorted her into a room and began to walk her over to a pair of tall French doors. He unlocked the doors and stepped aside so that she could walk out onto the grounds.

It was eight o'clock and the sun had just set. They stood together gazing at the stars. "It's beautiful out here," Caroline looked around in wonder. She had been to rich people's homes before, usually the Lockwood's, but this was something else entirely.

"Yes, it is," Klaus was gazing at Caroline and his breath tickled her ear.

She turned to him and grinned up at him. "So, how do you know the Mikaelsons? I mean, you're not a student because I would have noticed you before. But you're here at this party. So, are you a friend of one of Rebekah's brothers or something?" Caroline was curious and was wondering why she did not know this information already. She was always in the loop. Heck, she was the loop. So, why did she feel like she had to pry this guy's mouth open?

Klaus looked up at the sky. "I've known the Mikaelson's a long time. You could even say that we're family," he turned to her with a playful grin.

Caroline opened her mouth to ask him to be more specific when someone opened the door. "Hey, there's about to be a fight out by the dance room," a freshman informed them.

Klaus frowned, "I suppose that would be our cue," he said gesturing for Caroline to re-enter the home through the now open doors. When they got to the ball room they saw Matt was about to fight a young man Caroline had never seen before. Although he did look to be about her age his brown hair was a hanging in his face, mussed and he was waving his hands toward Matt.

Klaus began to push his way toward the two young men in the center of a group of teens. Rebekah was standing to the side, her hand on her hip. She looked like she wanted to kill everyone in the room. Bonnie stepped next to Caroline.

"What happened?" Caroline asked her friend as she watched Klaus step up next to the dark haired boy and say something in his ear. She could tell by the body language that they were arguing. The boy was waving at Matt and turning red. He was now an inch from Klaus' face. Klaus refused to back down and Caroline was smiling. He was so above all the silly teenage melodrama. 'That was what she needed. Not a boy. She was done with boys. She wanted a man. She wanted this man.' She had to shake herself out of her thoughts when she realized that Bonnie was talking. "I'm sorry. What did you say?"

Bonnie rolled her eyes, "As I was saying for the past five minutes. This guy came up to Elena. Actually that guy," she pointed at the dark haired boy. "This guy asked Elena if she would dance with him. And Elena, being Elena, said yes. So, they start dancing and everything is cool until he puts his hand on her ass and refuses to let go of her when she told him to. Then she started shouting. Of course Matt, rushes over and he tries to peel the guy off but he can't. Then Tyler tried to help him. It wasn't until that guy over there," Bonnie pointed to a tall dark haired man in a dark suit, who was standing slightly in front of Elena, "stepped in, did the guy let go of Elena. Then this," she gestured at the scene.

The dark haired boy was now leaving the room while the teens, who wanted to see a fight groaned. Klaus looked to the dark haired man with Elena. Tall, dark and handsome turned to Elena and said something which made her smile and blush. He turned and joined Klaus, who was making a quick exit down the same hall that the boy had disappeared down, though the boy had not left before grabbing a bottle of champagne. Klaus looked over at Rebekah, who grimaced but began making her way toward the two men who were leaving the room. The three made their way down the hall. Klaus was leading, Rebekah behind him and the dark haired man taking up the end of their merry band.

"That was weird," Bonnie said leaning close to Caroline so she could hear her. Caroline had the hand holding her champagne flute under her chin. "Uh, huh," she let out a nervous giggle and turned as Elena, Matt and Tyler joined them.

Elena looked shaken while Matt and Tyler looked dazed.

Caroline was worried that they would want to leave so she supplied them with more champagne by waving down a waiter. "Look guys, the jerk is gone, thanks to Klaus. Now, we need to dance she grabbed Bonnie and Elena and tugged them to the dance floor.

"Who's Klaus?" Tyler asked, bewildered.

"Beats me," Matt shrugged drinking his champagne.

At that moment the Mikaelsons were gathered in Elijah's study arguing. "It was a joke. It's not my fault the girl and her chums have no sense of humor." Kol was attempting to defend himself while Elijah scoffed.

"That did not look like any kind of joke I am familiar with," Elijah stated calmly.

Kol opened his mouth to protest when Rebekah stomped her foot. "Nik," she exclaimed, her voice shrill, "he is trying to ruin my party."

Klaus was sitting on the edge of his brother's desk and was rubbing his temples. They had been at this for the past hour and a half and he was losing his temper. If they were all lucky they wouldn't find themselves in boxes by the morning.

"I just wanted to have a bit of fun with them before they come to work for me tomorrow morning," Kol was sitting down in a chair across from Klaus, pouting.

"You are a child, Kol, and your little restaurant is going to fail miserably," Rebekah was leaning over Kol, her eyes glittering with malice.

"No, it will not because 'Lijah promised he would help and Nik will, too. Won't you, Nik? You can see your little doppelgänger all the time and the little blonde with the nice arse." Kol looked at his brothers, his eyes shining with hope.

Klaus was contemplating the proposition. If it meant he could spend more time with Caroline… "Yes," he stated.

"No," Rebekah shouted while Kol jumped up from his chair and threw his arms around Klaus knocking them both to the floor.

"Oh, Nik. You won't regret it. This will be the most fun we have had in many years."

Klaus shoved Kol off of him and dusted himself off. "You had better not make me regret this, Kol." Klaus' voice contained the threat that he would act on if this turned out to be a mistake. "Alright then we should go over the details." Klaus clapped his hands together, a smile on his face, as Elijah took a seat behind his desk. He leaned down, opening a drawer to pull out some paperwork that they would need to finish before work the next day.

Rebekah rolled her eyes and left the office. She walked out down the stairs. She was determined to go back to the party and to have a good time. When she returned she began to say goodbye to departing guests. It was past midnight and some of these humans still had curfews. She envied them. They would go home to parents. She had those three lunatics upstairs.

Rebekah moved into the ball room collecting a glass of champagne. She needed something for her nerves. Suddenly, she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. She turned to see Matt. "Oh, Hello Matt. How are you enjoying the party?" she asked, smiling up at the quarterback.

"It's cool," he shrugged, giving her that grin of his. "Would you like to dance or something?"

She smiled so widely that if she was human it might hurt. But this was a wonderful moment for her.

"So," Matt cleared his throat as Rebekah lifted her head from where she had placed it during a slow dance.

"So," she purred, placing her hands on his shoulders and looking up at him.

They both looked at each other for what felt like a long time but was, in reality, a matter of minutes. "It's been kind of cool dancing with you like this." Matt took a deep breath. "I mean we never hang out together. But this, this was cool. Maybe if we had more time together and were able to get to know each other… Maybe we could even be friends one day."

Rebekah was listening attentively. "Yes, you're right. We need to spend more time together to develop a … friendship." She smiled at Matt hopefully.

Unfortunately, with my job at the Grill and Tyler talking me into applying to some new place called Amp Burger or something." He scratched the back of his head. "I don't know why he wanted to work there so badly. I mean, his parents are loaded but I guess Caroline asked him to fill out an application. It's really weird I'm pretty sure that everyone on the football team and most of the cheerleaders applied. Well, all the cheerleaders, except you."

"Yes," Rebekah thought about it. "I don't believe anyone suggested that I apply. You said the restaurant's name was Amp Burger. That is a peculiar name."

"Yeah, it used to be called the Mystic Burger but I guess some new guy decided to buy it and wanted a whole new crew." Matt shrugged his shoulders with a don't ask me expression.

Rebekah frowned thinking. "Hmm, I suppose I should ask around."

Tyler walked over, "Hey guys. This was a great party, Rebekah, but it's like 2 am and we have to get to work at 8 am. I'd hate to be late on the first day of my first job." Tyler chuckled at his joke and Rebekah gave him a tight smile.

Matt looked at Rebekah apologetically. "It's been a great night. Thanks, Rebekah."

"You're welcome. Have a goodnight," she called to Matt and Tyler, waving as they exited the room. She turned and hurried down the hallway. When she was far enough away from any humans she sped up to Elijah's office. Her brothers were still talking about work tomorrow. She opened the door without knocking.

"Kol," she exclaimed.

"Bekah," he didn't look up from his position leaning over Elijah's shoulder looking at a piece of paper.

"What did you say the name of your little restaurant was?" she asked.

"What do you care?" he shot back.

"Just tell me," she demanded.

"It's called Amp Burger." Elijah answered her question, looking at her with raised eyebrows. "Why do you want to know, Rebekah?" He asked folding his hands and placing them under his chin.

She hesitated for a split second, sucking in an unneeded breath. "I want to work there." She smiled at her brother with as innocent a look as possible.

"You want to work." Kol began to laugh so hard he fell down and began to roll around on the floor. He suddenly stopped, sitting up he and gave her a suspicious look. "Who is he?" he demanded. He grabbed the paper that he was studying earlier. He began to read the names aloud until he got to Matt's and her mouth twitched up for a fraction for a second. "That's it, that's him. I knew it. You want to work for me because of a boy. A commoner. A stupid, human boy. You do know that your little human and I have unfinished business, right, Bekah?"

"Oh Kol, you brought it on yourself and who's to say that I just feel excluded. I can't let all of you men go about mucking up the place. There will be young women working for you and they will need my presence to protect them from the likes of you." She was scowling at her brother, her hands on her hips.

"Enough," Elijah said. He was rubbing his temples in the same way that Klaus had been hours earlier. "This will be a family business. And we are going to start being civil, starting tomorrow."

Both Rebekah and Kol snorted their laughter looking at each other. "Is there anything else we need to discuss?"

Klaus stepped forward, "I do believe that we will need alternate managers in case one of us finds we have something pressing we need to attend to."

Elijah sat back thinking, "Do you have any one in mind?"

"Yes, I know exactly who will do nicely for that task." Klaus grinned.

**As always I want to welcome new favorites, followers and thank my reviewers, lee 2840 and imswiminfootwear. I forgot to mention that imswiminfootwear also had a new story up called Sweet Caroline. I don't know how familiar readers are with the song, originally sung by Neil Diamond a long time ago. The story is really sweet. So, check it out. And lee 2840 has a great story called Caroline vs the Zombies which is sadly on hiatus. I also found this really awesome one-shot called Kol Mikaelson vs the Puppy by Sophia313. The story is so funny and cute. It made me want to give Kol a puppy in this story but I don't know how to fit it in. If you have any ideas of how I could I could fit a puppy into this story, let me know. And to end this catalog of my love for fanfiction stories I wanted to mention Midnight Drinks & Late Night Swims for those die hard Klaroline fans out there. Okay, enough of that. **

**I hope you all enjoyed the chapter because we go to the restaurant in the next chapter, Orientation Day. The chapter will appear on Saturday as a bonus chapter. I will be posting chapter 7 on Monday. As for chapter 7 which I haven't written, yet, because of the Fourth of July being on Thursday I will either update on Wednesday or Friday. The update will appear no later than Friday because I honestly have no idea how long this story is at this point but I return to college at the end of August to complete my Master's degree in English. Therefore, sometimes there will be updates two times a week and at times there will be three. It all depends on how quickly I can write. When I finish I want everyone who has been reading this story and really enjoyed it, to let me know if you want me to write the sequel. The follow up story would be a continuation of this one after work has commenced at 'Amp Burger and follow Elena, Caroline, Bonnie, Matt and Tyler and their respective parents/guardians on their vacation. They will be going to a beach resort and may find it peculiar when they find out who the new owners of the resort are. If there are requests for a sequel I will update as frequently as possible but it will probably become a once a week thing due to course work and a thirty page, publishable piece of literary scholarship. (Quietly sobs and reaches for tissue box). Anyway, last piece of business: the Salvatores finally appear in chapter 6. Evil laugh, now I get to make of Stephan more often. I love all the TVD characters, just not equally. Please review. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello readers, I hope that you are surviving the heat that we are having here in the US and things are going well for my readers overseas. There are many serious things going on in the world and I say this because I'm watching the nightly news as I type. So, here we are in our little reading and writing our fiction and I hope this allows you all a moment to escape the everyday worries even if it's only for awhile. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the chapter and I will see you at the bottom.**

Chapter 6: Orientation Day

It was approximately 7:45 am when Elena, Caroline, Bonnie, Matt and Tyler walked into 'Amp Burger. The first thing the girls had noticed when they arrived were teenagers. There were a lot of teenagers in the parking lot. They had parked at 7:30 and been talking to various class mates about how their summers were so far. They noticed that the Mystic Burger building had apparently been demolished and in its place was a new store. The bricks that made up the structure were a deep red. There was a new sign standing fifteen feet high and located at the edge of the entrance. It said WELCOME TO 'AMP BURGER. On it was a grinning face. When Bonnie looked at it she could swear that the incisors of the face were sharpened and that there was a little bit of red paint on the left tooth. She gasped in shock, taking a step back, walking into Elena.

"Hey guys," Matt called from his position up by the door. Almost everyone else had already made their way into the store and their group were left dawdling outside. Tyler entered, followed by Caroline.

Elena turned to Bonnie, "Come on Bon," she gave her friend a gentle nudge. Bonnie looked up at the sign with apprehension but allowed her friend to push her through the open door. As Matt let the door swing closed behind him Bonnie felt queasiness fill her stomach. Something about this place just was not right. The walls were also a deep red and reminded Bonnie of blood. The upholstery of the booths and seats were the same shade of red. It was like the decorator was either really pissed when he designed this place or he was a serial killer. "Dexter would probably like this place," Bonnie thought with a shiver. She had only seen one episode with Elena and Caroline and she had nightmares for weeks.

It didn't give her any comfort when the tall, dark haired man from last night came out from behind the counter. He stood in the front of the lobby taking in the group. There were fifty young people from Mystic Falls high school assembled before him. He cleared his throat to get the teenagers' attention. They abruptly quieted and turned their attention to the man, who stood before them in a suit. "I would like to introduce myself. I am Elijah Mikaelson."

"Mikaelson, like Rebekah Mikaelson?" Bonnie looked at Elena, who nodded. Elijah had introduced himself to Elena last night after the near fight. Right on cue Rebekah walked out from the back of the store with three young men behind her. She came to stand beside her brother. Bonnie and Elena gasped when the dark haired boy that had gotten overly grabby with Elena came to stand next to Rebekah. Then another familiar face came to join them. A young man with golden, curly hair, deep blue eyes and a smirk, came to stand with the others. Finally, the last man came forward. His hair was sticking up off his head and he did not look terribly comfortable being there.

Elijah turned to the men and woman at his side. "I would like to introduce you to your management team. This is my sister, Rebekah to my right," he pointed each of the men out in turn. "My younger brothers, Kol and Klaus, and Stephan Salvatore. Now before I have you divide into groups so that we can show you around the store and give you your uniforms I would like to give you some useful information. I expect punctuality, this includes management." Kol and Rebekah rolled their eyes. "I expect clean uniforms. Profanity will not be tolerated. There are not too many rules but they will be included in the handbooks that Stephan is distributing, right now." Bonnie took one and her eyes widened at the rules. There were at least ten pages of them. "There are many benefits to working here. You will gain work experience. I made sure that we provide benefits that you will not find at many major restaurant chains. We will give you health packages, dental coverage, paid vacations. You may have free meals if you work that day. We want to offer all of you a healthy, safe, employee friendly atmosphere. If you need to request time off or are not able to make a shift I only expect to be informed in advance. Unfortunately, there are times that you cannot inform someone prior to the occasion. I will keep this mind. Thank you for your time, now you may begin the tours."

A group of ten formed to follow Elijah through the back of the store. Bonnie watched as he showed them equipment that looked brand new. The restaurant was larger than it used to be and the back looked fairly airy compared to most fast food restaurants, where it appeared as if people were pressed up against each other. Bonnie shuddered the thought. She watched as another group followed Rebekah, who looked disappointed that Matt had not joined them.

Matt leaned over to Bonnie. "I guess calling her Bossy Becky is going to have a whole new meaning." He grinned and Bonnie rolled her eyes but chuckled anyway.

Elena moved further back as the next group began to gather for Kol's turn. "There is no way I am going anywhere with that guy." He seemed to hear her, although Bonnie couldn't figure out how that was possible. He turned from where he had been sneering at Elena and looked at Bonnie. She narrowed her eyes at him. He simply winked and waved at her.

When it was time for Klaus' group, Elena and Bonnie stepped back further. They watched as several young women moved forward, Caroline was not among them. They turned to look at their friend. Her lower lip was puckered out and they thought she was going to cry.

"What's wrong, Care?" Bonnie put her hand on Caroline's arm. Caroline was looking at Klaus, who had reluctantly turned and began his tour.

"He lied to me," she whispered.

"What did he lie about?"

Caroline was trying not to cry but her lower lip was trembling. "He didn't tell me that he was Rebekah's brother and we all know how I've treated her. This was probably some stupid game. He never told me his last name and now…now…I'm going to be working for him. I mean I can't date my boss. Seriously, why… Bon? Why do they all have to turn out to be jerks…" By this time tears were running down her cheeks and the group had closed in to prevent others from seeing Caroline like this.

Tyler put an arm around her shoulders. "Do you want to go home? I can give you a ride. And someone else can show us around next time. Elena, can you find out when Care and I start and Matt could you grab our uniforms?"

"No problem," Matt and Elena stated at the same time.

Tyler led Caroline out of the restaurant rubbing her back while she clutched her stomach. Elijah silently watched them go while handing out uniforms to his young employees. Rebekah was looking up names and writing down their schedules for each new employee and Kol was sitting in the office, his feet propped up. He brought an Xbox with him and was playing a game. Elijah knew he would need to do something about that before Monday but until then he had other problems.

"Where are you going?" Klaus was about to leave and turned from his position at the door to the parking lot. "I was going after our new employees," Klaus replied, through gritted teeth.

"I need you here," Elijah told him, waving his brother back. Klaus looked out the window one more time before moving back toward his brother. He began to help pass out uniforms. And Elijah knew that he was going to sulk until the employees left and then he would destroy something.

Meanwhile, Elena, Bonnie and Matt were being led through the store by Stephan. He pointed out the grill, the fryers, the pressure cooker and the headsets they would be wearing to communicate with each other. He showed them an industrial sized sink, the size of three grown people. 'Rub a dub dub,' Bonnie thought laughing quietly and shaking her head. Stephan looked at her and smiled. He showed them where the cups and containers were located in a back storage area.

"Now, this is really important." He gestured to a cabinet in which the first aid kit was kept. "Everyone needs to be aware of where this is at all times because accidents happen all the time in places like these."

"Yes, yes that is very important. Now get the hell out of the way you bloody idiot." Kol's TV was located behind Stephan's back and under the cabinet where the first aid kit was located. Kol was glaring at Stephan and Stephan glared back before he walked away without a word. Bonnie staed at Kol. He was looking at his game and huffed when he was blown up on the screen. Bonnie smirked, "Serves you right," she muttered. He looked up and got up, moving across the office swiftly. He was suddenly in the door frame with her. She had to press herself all the way against the door frame to prevent touching. She felt the piece of wood pressing into in her back but preferred it to the thought of any part of him touching any part of her.

"See you later, Witchy," he whispered close to her ear. He smirked at her, as he left the room and went back out toward the lobby.

Bonnie hurried to catch up with the rest of the group. They were about to enter what looked like a refrigerator and given the cold blast of air that was emitted when Stephan opened the door she guessed that she was correct. Stephan was explaining, that it was empty at the moment because the truck that would deliver the food would arrive on Sunday so that the food would still be fresh come Monday morning. They might need some help putting things away on Sunday. Therefore, if anyone wanted to volunteer. He was looking at them with a hopeful smile.

Elena was the first to speak, "Well I don't have anything planned for Sunday." She smiled at Stephan and Bonnie and got the sense that Elena wanted to hang out with her new boss.

"I could come, too," Matt jumped in quickly.

Bonnie's friends turned to her and she felt pressured. "Okay," she sighed.

Stephan grinned, "So, it's settled. Great. Now, I want to show you all how to get out of the freezer if it gets stuck because the other crew may not be able to hear you. Elijah's working on getting a bell installed to inform us if someone gets stuck. We wouldn't want something to happen to any of you." He ushered them inside and Bonnie shivered in her tank top and light cotton pants.

"Okay," Stephan was saying, "if you get stuck don't panic. For one thing you should never panic in an emergency. But in this kind you grab this handle, here." He indicated a handle to the right of the door and the door popped open. He let it go and it closed again "Okay, are there any questions."

Matt raised his hand. "Yeah, Matt."

"What if someone slips and falls? Because there was this one time this guy, Randy, he fell in the freezer at the Grill and he laid in there for an hour before someone found him."

"That is a great question, Matt and I will talk to Elijah about creating a system in which we count employees every so often to make sure that no one disappears. You can never be too careful."

The door to the freezer was suddenly jerked open and everyone, except Stephan jumped. Bonnie shrieked and then clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Sorry, did I interrupt the party." A man in black clothes, with diamond blue eyes stepped in and let the door close behind him.

"Damon, you're late," Stephan folded his arms over his chest.

"I know, I know," Damon rolled his eyes and smiled widely at the young humans. "You must be the crew. I'm Damon Salvatore, the older and much more handsome of the two Salvatores. But I do love you, Stefy." He grabbed Stephan and began mussing up his hair.

"Wait a minute?" Elena looked at them frowning in confusion, "So, let me get this straight. You and Stephan are brothers and managing this place with the Mikaelson siblings?"

Damon tapped his nose. "Right on. I think we have a keeper. She's smart and cute." Damon was grinning at Elena and Bonnie was thinking about cats and canaries.

Stephan began fixing his hair while Elena blushed, pushing her hair behind one ear. Bonnie rolled her eyes. 'Holy shit, Joey Potter, would you stop flirting with every guy within a fifty yard radius," Bonnie thought, fuming as Elena smiled shyly at Damon.

Stephan led them out of the freezer and the refrigerator. "Are you cold?" Stephan asked Bonnie.

She looked at him. "Yeah, a little."

"Don't worry," Stephan said, "There will be times you'll be glad to get away from the heat by the grill and fryers and just want to cool off."

"Thanks for the advice," she was relieved that he was even paying attention to her. She expected that he would not like Matt gawking at Elena and Elena flirting with Damon. 'When was he ever going to learn?'

They were now in the line to collect their uniforms and as she stepped forward she realized that Elijah had been replaced by Kol. Elijah was over in a corner talking to Klaus and neither looked very happy. Kol, on the other hand, looked rather amused as he saw her moving closer and closer. She turned her head, looking for Elena, to warn her about the switch. However, Elena was engrossed in a conversation with Damon. He was saying something and she was giggling, like, well, a high school girl. Bonnie snorted, if Elena wanted to hang out with Damon so much then she could have him protect her from Mr. Grabby Hands here.

Kol grinned up at her, "Size my dear, Witchy."

She scanned the pile of clothing, surprised that were a number of different colors for the tops. Most of the pants were basic black. Although, it did look like they were slightly different in style. "Small she told him or a size four."

He grinned, looking at the different pants. He tossed the ones he didn't like on the floor until he found the one he wanted. They were low rise, bootleg, hip huggers. He pulled out a white shirt with a turquoise print on it. It looked more like a peasant top than a uniform shirt. The only thing that made it clear was the creepy little 'Amp Burger logo face staring back at her on the left.

She wrinkled her nose at the little smiling face. Kol looked up at her, "Do you not like it? I can find another." He began rifling again.

"No, it's fine." She sighed in defeat.

"Good. Bekah will give you your schedule." Bonnie walked over to Rebekah who had already written her schedule down and gave it to her. Bonnie studied it, listening as Kol told Matt to just find something that fit and move on, there were other people in line and they did not have all day.

Bonnie noticed that she would be stuck with Kol for four of her five shifts. "Um, Rebekah," she said.

"Yes," Rebekah replied, not looking up from her business of carefully writing down Matt's schedule. "And her phone number?"

Bonnie's eyebrows rose. "Elena, Matt and I will be coming in on Sunday So, does that change our schedules?" She was hoping so because she did not want to work with Kol that many hours.

Rebekah looked up and bit her bottom lip thinking, quickly. "Yes, that would. Let's see if I can come in on Sunday and we can talk about which hours you would like switched. Since you volunteered to work that day I can switch your hours with someone else's. Does that sound agreeable?"

Bonnie nodded eagerly with a smile on her face. "Great, I will see then." Rebekah was looking at Matt. She got up to help him find something to wear. Damon and Elena were joking about the uniform he had helped her find.

When everyone was done and they had their uniforms in hand and their schedules they headed out. When they were in the parking lot Elena was beaming. "This is going to be great," she exclaimed.

"Yeah, just great." Matt and Bonnie replied, as Bonnie stared down at the little vampire on her uniform with dread.

**Thank you to my guest reviewer and yes, we are moving toward Kennet and thank you to imswiminfootwear for your review. The next chapter will be entitled "The First Day" and chronicle the first day on the job for our little group. It will be posted on Friday and trust me, it is worth the wait. It will be the longest chapter so far and cover the material for about two chapters. I will be posting the following Monday, Thursday and perhaps Saturday depending upon what I can cover between now and then. Please continue reading, reviewing, favoriting and following. Thank you and until next time, enjoy. Please review. **

**One last thing: I was hoping that I can receive twenty-five reviews in favor of a sequel. I already have one vote for the sequel; so now I just need twenty-four. All you have to do is type Yes, to the sequel or resort plot. You can log in as a guest if you don't have an account. I will probably go ahead and write the story. However, it would be nice to know that I'll have at least twenty-five people reading the story in the beginning. Please review the current story when you have time. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello readers, I hope all of you have been having a great week. As promised this is a long chapter to make up for missing the Thursday update. Happy reading.**

Chapter 7: The First Day

For Matt Donavon, life sucked sometimes. Like today, he had to get up at 7 am so that he could eat, shower and get dressed for work at 'Amp Burger. 'Why am I doing this again?' he thought. Oh, right it was because his best friend had practically begged him to. Matt already had one job. It barely covered the bills but with his mother off with some guy again and his sister having od'd last year he didn't know what to do.

So, when Tyler had told Matt that he had applied at some new restaurant but was freaking out because he'd never had a job before, Matt had allowed Tyler to talk him into applying. That was why he was taking a quick shower, shoveling a bowl of cornflakes into his mouth and climbing into his truck on a Sunday morning.

When he arrived Elena, Caroline, Tyler and Bonnie were waiting for him. As a group they went to the back door and rang the bell. Rebekah answered it. She was wearing a button down, cream colored blouse, a long pair of blue dress pants and a pair of black, close toed pumps. Her hair was pulled up and she was carrying a clipboard. "Good you all managed to arrive on time."

She led them through the back of the restaurant, "Salvatore, they're here." Rekekah yelled while staring at the ice maker with a look of pure disdain. Damon popped his head out from the office doorway with a grin when he spotted Elena.

Elena was smiling and blushing and Matt suppressed the dual urge to vomit on Damon's overpriced Italian shoes or to remind Elena that the guy was their boss. 'What is she thinking?' he thought in dismay. Although he found himself looking at Rebekah's long legs. 'Hello, I'm a guy. We think about sex all the time. It's not like girls can think about sex like that. Can they?' His gaze trailed over to Caroline, who was standing next to Tyler and did not look too happy to be there. 'Then there's Caroline. She obviously likes sex.' He thought about their short romance earlier in the year. Unfortunately their relationship seemed to be doomed from the start. They never seemed to have enough time together because Matt had to work. Then there were the jealousy issues and over time the romance just fizzled. They had chosen to remain friends and now it looked like there was something between Caroline and Tyler. Matt sighed, she had a right to move on. It had been five months and he knew that she was lonely even while she smiled and put on the perky girl attitude.

But Elena, that was a different subject. She was Matt's first love and he only wanted to see her happy. This guy, this Damon Salvatore, was not the guy who was going to bring her happiness. There was just something about the guy that exuded…danger. That was it, danger and that was not what Elena needed. She needed to be taken care of. She had been through a lot this past year and she needed friends, not some dangerous guy, who was going to cause her to get hurt. Matt unconsciously stepped closer to Elena.

Damon noticed Matt's move and quirked an eyebrow. He looked at Matt for a long time, his face blank before his lips turned up slowly into a smirk which caused Matt to involuntarily shudder.

Rebekah looked at the two and their little male pissing contest. She rolled her eyes and let out a loud sigh. "Alright, everyone, we have work to do. Shall we?" It was less of a request and more of a demand, as the bell to the back door rang again.

"That must be Stefan," Rebekah nodded at Bonnie, "Could you be a dear and let him in? And Damon, why is your brother late?" She turned to Damon, who simply shrugged. "Tardiness will not be tolerated. You heard what Elijah said and trust me, none of you want to get on his bad side." She was looking down her nose at all of them, except for Bonnie who was letting Stefan in.

"Stefan, you're late." Rebekah looked at Stefan, her tone was sharp.

Matt was thinking about how thick the tension was in the room. "So, when is the truck coming in?" He was hoping to diffuse the situation building in the room.

Rebekah looked at her watch, frowning. "Now," at that moment the doorbell pealed again, only this time it was as if someone was leaning on it.

Before anyone could move a muscle Rebekah was stalking toward the front door, rather than the back. "Caroline, find out who in God's name thinks that the buzzer is a toy," she snapped. Caroline bowed her head, not enjoying the fact that she would have to work hard to not fight back. This was not the high school. This was a business, one that Rebekah and her brothers owned, and that meant that Caroline would have stay on her best behavior. She was curious to find out why someone was apparently holding their finger against the buzzer. When she opened the door her breath caught in mid-exhale and she began to choke. Standing in front of her was the one man she did not want the company of today.

Klaus stood at the door removing his finger from the buzzer the moment he saw a wisp of wavy blonde hair and a pink fingernail. She was exquisite, even in a simple t-shirt and a pair jeans with sneakers covering her feet. He desperately wanted to take her into his arms and hold her but the look she was giving him told him that he should not even attempt to touch one hair on her head. He could see the pain that she was trying to cover with a nonchalant stare. That was not the look that she had been giving him when she originally opened the door.

'It is because I am not being honest with her,' he thought. 'But how can I? One could not just walk up to an eighteen year-old human girl and tell her, "Hello, my name is Niklaus Mikaelson. I'm sure that you grew up watching and reading about vampires but most of those infernal stories would be wrong. I should know because I am one of the Original vampires. I have lived for a thousand years. I am evil and sadistic. I have killed men, women and children. One of my favorite hobbies is to torture humans, vampires and the occasional werewolf. I need to drain the blood of one of your close friends, Elena Gilbert, because she is a doppelgänger and I may never get this chance again. The only reason I have not broken the curse to release my werewolf side so that I can eat some of the locals, would be because I saw you one day. And every day since thoughts of you have plagued me during the day and I dream of you. I know that I am a selfish man. I know that I am not a good man. Hell, I am not a man. I am a monster. I am an evil creature, who will only bring you pain and possibly cause your slow and painful death. However, in over a thousand years I can say that no one has made me feel the way that you, you fragile, little human girl, have made me feel and I love you Caroline Forbes.'

Klaus was broken out of his thought when he heard Rebekah's frustrated scream from across the parking lot. He then heard an equally loud yelp of pain. He and Caroline were suddenly running toward the ruckus and he had to remind himself to run at human speed. When he stopped suddenly, Caroline ran into him and nearly fell, again. He whipped around and caught her. This time she did not seem as impressed by his reflexes and turned to watch his younger siblings yell at each other.

Rebekah was waving her hands in the air yelling, "I cannot believe you, Kol."

Kol was leaning slightly out of the driver's side of a truck which carried the shipment of food for tomorrow, as well as other supplies. "I've never driven a semi-truck before, Bekah." He was rubbing his head from where Rebekah had thrown her clipboard at him and was now bent over to retrieve it. Kol beeped the horn at her and grinned and Rebekah jumped. She held up the clipboard, ready to throw it through the windshield at full vampire strength.

Klaus frowned, "Bekah," he whispered. She turned to look at him and he shook his head in warning. Stefan walked over to her and gently pulled her arm down to her side. She sighed but relented, leaning against Stefan slightly. She had been disappointed when she woke up from her coffin and found that Stefan had moved on but in time she accepted that things change. People change. Things were awkward between the two. But maybe by the end of the summer they could become friends she was thinking. Rebekah did not have anyone and she wanted desperately to build friendships with a few of these people and possibly have a relationship. She looked over at Matt, who was looking glumly at Elena, who was wrapped up in Damon. 'Stupid doppelgangers.' The Petrova women had always been a problem for her family and she hoped that someone would kill, or at the very least, turn Elena so that there would be no more Petrovas to cause problems for them. Then again, Nik would be draining little Elena sometime this summer and then they would be on the road again. 'What a mess,' she was staring at Elena when Kol jumped down from his seat in the truck.

Klaus grunted when he saw Kol jump straight from the seat to the ground, landing gracefully and with a grin. 'How was he supposed to keep this ruse up with Kol and Rebekah showing off? He inwardly frowned remembering his own slips moving too quickly to grab Caroline. But he could not see her hurt herself. Not like this, in this fragile human state. He looked forward to the day when she would not be so fragile. 'One day she will be my Caroline, strong and eternally beautiful.'

Caroline was confused about why Klaus was there and why Kol had driven the truck to deliver the food. She wanted to pretend that she was sick and to go home. The last thing she wanted was to spend time with Klaus and Rebekah and that weirdo, Kol, who was currently sizing her up like she was on the dessert menu. This was just too much. Klaus was saying something about the guys would unload the truck and that Bekah should show the ladies what she wanted them to do for the day.

Rebekah had seemingly calmed, knowing that she would be ridding herself of the annoyance, known as her brother, Kol. She moved toward the store and pulled the door open allowing Elena, Bonnie and Caroline to file in before she allowed the door to close behind her. As she looked around the lobby she frowned at Kol's choice of décor.

"I do not believe that this color scheme will attract the right set of customers," she folded her arms across her chest.

Bonnie spoke up, "You're right. I mean it kind of screams serial killer. Or maybe B-rate horror film."

Elena and Caroline nodded their agreement. Rebekah looked around the room. "What if it were in a midnight blue. Perhaps, that would be a little less…frightening." She quirked an eyebrow, thinking about it. The upholstery on the seats would need to change too. They can't be white. That would stain too easily. Hmm… maybe an oceanic green. And the floor which had no carpet so far. "What about the color of sand. That sounds lovely. It will be as if our customers are leaving the boring town of Mystic Falls for a walk on the beach in the evening. We can even tint the windows so that they appear darker."

The others were nodding, excited by the prospect of changing the look of the place which was creepy to say the least. Rebekah went to work looking up places where they could purchase paint and calling to see if she could get someone to come in and get a carpet in here ASAP. Her next item of business was to talk to them about getting more uniforms. She held out a catalog from a store that most of them couldn't ordinarily afford to shop from. Rebekah told them to pick whatever they wanted as long as they thought about how much skin they were exposing because they did not want to get burned.

They were all having a great time while the guys did the heavy lifting. Matt, Damon, Stefan and Klaus were done within two hours and while the humans grabbed a couple of glasses of water, Damon pulled a flask and gulped down some bourbon. Stefan and Klaus were talking about how long he would expect the Salvatores to work there.

"Well, Stefan, I'm sorry to hear that you are bored already." Klaus was smirking at Stefan while sitting on top of a table in the back. Without looking at him, he held his hand out for Damon's flask. Damon wasn't happy but he handed it over anyway.

Stefan sighed, "Look Klaus, Damon and I have things that we need to get back to."

Klaus chuckled. "Oh right, I'm sorry. I forgot I interrupted your brooding and Damon's drinking/being a man whore. Yes, that must be rough on the two of you. But you must remember that you owe me."

Stefan sighed. He did not want to be reminded of the debt that he and Damon owed Klaus at that moment. All he could think about was the young woman, who looked like Katherine in the front of the store, who was chattering happily about wall paint. He had saved her life and then ran to keep her safe. Katherine had informed Damon and him that the girl was not safe and that he and Damon had to return to Mystic Falls to protect her. He hadn't believed her until he arrived and had seen that Klaus was already there. He had offered his and Damon's services to Klaus. Damon had not been pleased but he agreed to protect the girl. He wasn't sure why Damon wanted to protect Elena but Damon had been there when he received the call from Katherine, who as usual was on the run.

"You are working for me," Klaus reminded them and as such you are under my protection. You two were instrumental in my finally ending my father's life and you will help me with my little doppelgänger. I will tell you when your services are no longer necessary. Do you understand me?" Klaus was now standing nose to nose with Stefan.

"Yes, we understand," Damon told him. Staring at Klaus. What Klaus did not know was that they had no intention of helping him and planned to place Klaus in a coffin before the summer ended.

Klaus backed off and grinned, fixing the collar of Stefan's shirt, before giving him a friendly pat. "That wasn't so hard now was it?" He clapped his hands together. "Now, let's see what the ladies are up to, shall we?" He strode into the lobby his arms swinging.

Rebekah was sitting in a booth with Bonnie on the right of her so that Rebekah could get up easily. Caroline was facing Bonnie while Rebekah was face to face with the doppelgänger. She jumped up when Klaus, Stefan and Damon came out from behind the counter. Matt and Tyler decided to join them. Rebekah focused her sights on Matt, "I was going to go to the hardware store and pick up some cans of paint. Matt, would you like to join me?"

Matt rubbed the back off his neck, "Actually, Rebekah I was going to si-," she put up a hand to stop him mid-sentence.

"Nonsense, I insist," she came over and put a hand on his arm. "I'll drive. You can sit back and relax. We can even get a bite to eat."

Elena could have sworn that Rebekah was staring at Matt's neck when she mentioned getting a bite to eat. 'What the hell,' she thought. By the time she thought to try to stop them they were already in the parking lot.

Matt was really tired after unloading the truck. He was surprised at how easy Stefan, Damon and Klaus made it look. He was happy when Kol had said he had other deliveries to make and pulled off laughing hysterically. He hadn't missed the grim look that Klaus had on his face as he watched his brother drive haphazardly out of the parking lot, narrowly avoiding hitting the giant sign for the store and nearly plowing into a family in a hybrid car.

Matt had always thought that his family was pretty messed up until today. He hated to think of what it would be like to be a part of the Mikaelson clan. Elijah seemed okay but the rest of them…he wasn't too sure about.

"Where would you like to have lunch at?" Rebekah asked. She was driving slowly down the road. Matt had to check and make sure she wasn't going too slowly. Nope, she was driving at the minimum speed limit.

"Ummm…," he had to think about it. He knew that for Rebekah money was not an issue but he didn't want her paying for his meal.

"Oh, what about this place?" She was eyeing a little restaurant which advertised French cuisine and Matt knew that he couldn't afford it.

"How 'bout not," he said glumly, looking out the window on the other side hoping to see something within his price range.

Rebekah turned and frowned at the back of Matt's head. 'Was it something she said? Oh wait, no, it was the money thing,' she thought. She pulled up to a grocery store and stopped the car.

Matt turned to her, "Why did you stop,' he was confused.

She got out and waited for him. When he walked around to her side, she shrugged, "It's a nice day. I thought we could eat outside."

They walked inside and she grabbed a basket. They grabbed pre-prepared sandwiches while Rebekah grabbed a yogurt and Matt got a bag of chips. "Should we get the others something?" Matt asked Rebekah.

She nodded, "We should eat first. So, their food does not spoil." She wrinkled her nose thinking about spoiled food in her car. They grabbed a couple of soft drinks and paid. Walking back into the heat they went outside and found a bench at the nearby park.

"This is weird," Matt said after awhile.

Rebekah raised an eyebrow. "What's weird?" Her voice came out quiet, as if she was afraid of the answer. She had thought that they were having a lovely time and now Matt seemed to thinking otherwise.

"Well, the two of us, like this," he gestured to the empty food and drink containers and the two of them sitting together. "I mean it's like this is what you would do on a date. But this isn't a date because you're my boss and that would be wrong."

Now Rebekah was frowning thoughtfully. She played with her bottle, twirling it on the table. "I am sure that there will be plenty of room for promotion," she said, "and I can talk to Elijah and I'm sure he can promote you to manager in no time. Then this will not be weird as you put it." She smiled happily at him while he frowned.

"Rebekah, I don't want you getting me promoted so that we can date. It isn't right."

"But, Matt you work so hard at the Grill. Think of it this way. You wouldn't have to work so many hours. You would have a pay increase and perhaps you wouldn't have to work two jobs. I mean, why do you need two, anyway?"

Matt looked at her for some time thinking about what she said. "This is just a summer job, Rebekah. Once summer ends I'm going back to school and I can't manage a restaurant and finish high school at the same time. I have football and I want to spend time with my friends. After all, this is going to be our senior year and I want to spend time with everyone before they all go to college."

Rebekah sighed, "You're right. I'm sorry. But we can still be friends, right?"

"Sure," he smiled at her and they threw their trash away being careful to recycle their plastic bottles.

They went to the hardware store and purchased the paint and brushes they would need. They headed back to the grocery store and grabbed their co-workers food.

When they came back to the store everyone was pretty quiet. They all seemed relieved that Matt and Rebekah had come back. They were quiet throughout lunch. It wasn't until they cleaned up, placed tarps on the floor to avoid getting paint on it and moved the tables out of the way that people began to talk again.

Someone suggested that they play some music. An iPod appeared on one of the tables and they began to paint. Caroline was standing next to Klaus and Elena was on his other side. Damon was moving his brush one inch at a time and Klaus was watching, wondering if the elder Salvatore had ever held a paint brush before.

Rebekah, Matt, Bonnie, Tyler and Stefan were on the other side of the room. They were making headway and seemed to be making this into a competition. "Come on, Nik," Rebekah called, "it's a bloody dining room, not the Sistine Chapel."

Klaus just turned around and glared at his baby sister.

Rebekah just waved her paint brush at him. Suddenly Barry White came on singing "My darling, I cannot get enough of your love, Babe." Damon began to dance to the song, swaying his hips to the music. Elena smiled at him and he turned to her and grabbed her free hand. He pulled her to him and began to sway to the music. Soon they were moving through the room. Elena threw her head back, laughing. Caroline grinned at the wall while she painted. It was nice to see her friend smile. As Barry continued in the background she suddenly felt the brush being plucked from her hand. The next thing she knew she was now joining Elena and Damon on the dance floor. Klaus dipped her low causing her to smile despite herself. He pulled her up and they were moving slowly to the beat. She relaxed, laying her head on his shoulder. Tyler and Bonnie were dancing together while Rebekah, Stefan and Matt were moving to the beat.

Suddenly Katy Perry's "You're a Firework" began to blast through the room. Caroline began to bounce eagerly up and down. She started singing along with the recording. Tyler lifted her up onto a table and she began to sing "Cause baby you're a firework." She pointed at Bonnie and Elena. "'Come on, and show 'em what you're worth." She raised her fist and was now bouncing up and down looking at Klaus. "You're an Original cannot be replaced." Next she turned to Tyler standing in front of her, "It's brighter than the moon, moon, moon. It's always been inside of you, you, you" She winked at him before serenading Stefan and Damon. Stefan smiled bashfully and Damon winked and mouthed, "Call me."

Next Blondie's "Call Me" came on and Damon lifted Elena and Stefan lifted Bonnie onto the table to provide back up. The girls swayed together on the tables that had been pushed together singing "Call me any old time." To this the guys laughed and whistled, even Rebekah seemed to be having a good time.

Their fun was interrupted when they heard someone yell. "What the hell," Kol was standing in the entrance of the lobby glaring at them. "What have you done to my beautiful lobby," he was seething.

Rebekah stepped forward, "It was a horrible eye sore and now we are fixing it." Kol glared at her and, without a word, he turned and left. They suddenly heard a loud crash and everyone hurried to the back. They saw ice all over the floor, spreading outward. Kol was standing next to the machine a glint in his eye, a baseball bat in his hand.

"Now that, dear sister is an eye sore," he indicated the ice machine which was sporting a gigantic dent now. "You might want to get that fixed before tomorrow morning." He swung the bat over his left shoulder and walked out whistling to himself.

Rebekah stood there her jaw hanging open. The others moved together as a group to get the ice off the floor before there was a giant puddle. When they were done they went back to painting. It was quiet for a while before Mat said something to Tyler about being slow. Tyler strode across the room and took his paint brush and swiped down the front of his best friend's shirt.

Rebekah began to laugh and Matt turned to her. He took his brush and swiped his brush down the back of her shirt. "Now your shirt matches your pants," he stated with a grin. In response she painted his right cheek blue. Suddenly Klaus yelped and realized that the back of his hair was blue. Caroline was staring at her part of the wall innocently. Until she felt a brush swipe her hair and saw a lock was now blue and Klaus was grinning at his handy work.

Caroline gasped in shock, she grabbed a bucket of paint and turned around. Unfortunately Klaus moved too fast and Elena now had blue paint on her face, dripping from her hair and running down her clothes.

Damon began to laugh at her. "You look like a Smurf," he said, bent over laughing. It was only when she reached out to hug him and spread the joy did he run from her. Since she couldn't catch him she hugged Bonnie and Tyler instead. When she got done with that she went in pursuit of Damon.

Someone had found a tiny brush and Rebekah was allowing Bonnie to paint smiley faces on her cheeks. Klaus and Caroline were giving each other paint tattoos. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. They were at this till 3 am, since someone (Damon) had offered to go out and get beer and more paint. Elena went with him and they joked with the clerks at the stores about being Smurfs.

In the end everyone had been dancing and drinking and had been painted blue well into the late hours. They ended up falling asleep in the booths and on the floor. Caroline was laying on the floor wrapped up in Klaus' arms. Elena was wrapped in Damon's and the placed was trashed. Tyler and Matt were asleep in a booth leaning against each other. Rebekah was asleep her head lolling to one sitting in the same booth with Bonnie's head in her lap. Stefan was sitting in a chair with the ear pods to Damon's iPod in his ears. It was still sitting on the table where they left it before.

Elijah came in with the men who were to install the carpet and the upholstery. "Dear God," he exclaimed when he walked into the dining room, having just seen the ice maker. It was 7 am and they were opening at 10 am. 'If this is the kind of work the night crew does this place will be shut down in a month." Elijah thought darkly, frowning and shaking his head at the scene before him.

**Just a quick note of the music. If anyone's interested Barry White's song is titled "I can't Get Enough of You Love, Babe." Mr. White was a very talented singer who is no longer with us. Katy Perry's song is called "You're a Firework." I want to thank my new favorites, followers and reviewers. As always, I want to thank imdrowninfootwear. Don't worry Kol is getting his puppy in chapter ten and thank you for the idea. I want to answer Fallen Witch Angel's question about whether Bonnie knows that Kol is a vampire. She is suspicious but she does know for sure until chapter ten. The next chapters are split into three parts because as one chapter it would have been really long. Each chapter will cover one shift. Chapter ten will cover Kol's shift. The next update will be on Monday. I also wanted to remind everyone who has not voted yet on whether or not they want to see the sequel there are still quite a few chapters left in this story. So, if you like to take a couple of minutes and vote I would appreciate it. I want to thank the guest reviewer for voting. I only need twenty-three more votes and then the story will be guaranteed. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello, Readers it's Monday and as promised I am posting the first section of The Longest Day. I hope you enjoy it. **

Chapter 8: The Longest Day: Part I

Elijah Mikaelson was rarely surprised by anything his siblings did. He had seen each of them at their highest and lowest. However, he never expected to see a scene like the one that he was confronting at this moment. If someone had told him on his way over he would have laughed, thinking they were lying. He would have been far less surprised to see the crew dissembled than this.

Elijah turned to the men behind him and gave them instruction to leave. They were to come back in half an hour. He needed to take care of this situation first. He stopped, looking down at his little sister. Her head was resting on the table of the booth she had slept in; her head was laid upon her arms and her hair had come down and was hanging around her face. He reached down and brushed a lock away from her closed lid. Her eyelashes fluttered. As she awoke she stared up at her older brother with a look on her face he hadn't seen in centuries. She looked peaceful.

Elijah watched as Rebekah began to look around her seeing Matt's head was leaning toward the table and Tyler's head was on his friend's shoulder. Bonnie's head was on her lap and she was snoring quietly. She noticed the blue paint and looked at the walls. Elijah placed a hand on her shoulder to prevent her from commenting. She scooted out of the booth, laying Bonnie's head gently down on the booth's cushion.

Elijah walked over to a sleeping Klaus and Caroline. He knew this would be difficult. His brother, like his sister, looked peaceful and he did not want to wake him. When he looked closer he noticed the way that Niklaus' hand stroked Caroline's in his sleep. He looked around the room and noticed that Damon Salvatore was awake watching Miss Gilbert sleep. He looked heartbroken like he was at the end of a love story rather than at the beginning. His arms were wrapped around the girl and their legs were intertwined much like his brother and the girl he held. However, Damon was holding her like he was afraid that someone might snatch her away at any moment. Elijah and Rebekah were surprised to see a single tear slide down Damon's cheek before he looked at them.

As Damon laid his head back down to feign sleep Elijah rested a hand on his younger brother's shoulder. Niklaus was awake immediately. With the same look that Elijah had seen thousands of times in the past centuries. His hold on Caroline tightened and she whimpered in her sleep.

Klaus took an unnecessary breath nuzzling Caroline's ear before he whispered, "Caroline. We need to get up."

Caroline rolled over in his arms, snuggling into his chest and threw an arm around his neck. "Just five more minutes," she groaned.

Klaus lifted an eyebrow and wrapped an arm back around her. "I would like to honor the lady's request," Klaus said.

Elijah could hear the amusement in his brother's voice and decided to leave them for now. He nodded to Rebekah. She in turn reached out and gently shook Matt.

Matt looked up her, his eye lids heavy with sleep. "Hey," he said, rubbing his eyes and began to stretch when he noticed Tyler on his shoulder. He shook his friend, "Hey man, wake up. We need to get home and get some real sleep before tonight's shift."

Tyler looked at Matt like he'd never seen him before. This was due to the alcohol and the blue paint. He looked at his hands and realized that he was also covered in the stuff. He looked around the room. When he saw Caroline wrapped up in Klaus' arms he felt angry and decided to leave rather than to knock the other guy's teeth in.

Matt got up leaned over Bonnie. "Hey Bon," he called. She rolled onto her back and stared up at the guy with blue paint on his face and thought about last night.

"My head hurts," she moaned.

"I know," Matt grinned down at her. He helped her out of the booth and picked her up.

Rebekah walked over. "Hey Rebekah, I'm going to take Bonnie home. We need some sleep before work tonight."

Rebekah nodded her farewell not wanting to wake Caroline yet. The girl may not be her favorite person but she was making her brother happy at the moment.

Elena had finally woken up and she and Damon were getting to their feet. Damon stood up first and held out his hands to Elena. She smiled up at him and placed her hand over the blue hand print on his left cheek which was an exact match. He smiled while looking down at her blue hair. "Smurfette," he teased. She giggled at the inside joke.

Caroline was waking up and Klaus was watching her closely. She blinked up at him. She smiled at him until she remembered that he lied to her. Then she was moving quickly. Klaus could only look on as she pushed herself to her feet and half ran to the door.

Elijah looked down at him. Klaus closed his eyes and laid back down.

It wasn't that long before they all remembered Stefan, who was still sitting in a chair asleep. At first they thought he was awake because he was moving. Then they noticed the iPod. The older members of the group with better hearing heard him singing and then realized that the awkward movements were dance moves. He was singing along to the Bee Gees. "I'm a woman's man," Stefan sang and Damon began to laugh. They soon realized that Stefan was re-enacting 70s disco moves from _Saturday_ _Night_ _Fever._ Soon they were all laughing except for Klaus, who was still moping about Caroline.

Damon walked over and pulled one of the pods from his brother's ear. "Hey Tony -, wake up." Stefan jumped up startled out of his peaceful slumber. He looked around to see Elijah, Rebekah, Damon and Elena laughing at his antics. He didn't know what was so funny. Damon patted him on the shoulder. "I'll tell you on the way home." He put an arm around his brother and placed the other around Elena. They left the store together to get a little sleep before they came in for the mid-shift beginning in four hours.

Rebekah and Elijah looked around the store at the mess. In less than fifteen minutes they had the mess off the floor. After they pried Klaus off the floor they had the walls painted in another five minutes, due to Klaus' frustration.

When the carpet guys and upholstery guys came back in Elijah compelled them to explain how to carpet a floor and how to upholster furniture. He took off his jacket and tie and rolled up his sleeves. In less than an hour he and Klaus had completed that work. They paid the crew and compelled them to go home. The crew was to remember that they had done the work themselves.

Meanwhile Rebekah called about getting the ice machine fixed and went to the grocery store. She bought twenty bags of ice, in the hopes that would be enough for her shift which would start that morning and last until 5 pm. Then it would be Kol's shift and he could deal. After all, he was the one who broke the thing in the first place.

Rebekah went home with Klaus to change clothing and to grab another suit for Elijah, who had decided to stay at the store and wait for the day crew to arrive. Rebekah entered the mansion first. Klaus followed her. He was not himself and Rebekah did not want to leave him alone but she had told Elijah she would return in thirty minutes. She showered and dressed. Looking in the mirror she found that the blue paint, while not as visible, was still there.

Rebekah would spend the day with the hint of blue smiley faces on her cheeks, her hand were slightly blue and parts of her hair. 'Maybe it will become a trend,' she thought as she gathered a suit for Elijah minus the tie. For once he could loosen up a little, after all this was not a formal dining experience.

When she came downstairs she found that Nik was on the phone. He seemed to be happier and was talking to a young woman. In her rush she did not notice the open phone book or Klaus asking if the woman was blonde. When the woman responded in the affirmative he smiled but there was not a glimmer of pleasure in his expression. He only asked how long it would take her to get to Mystic Falls. The answer made his smile widen while his eyes darkened and his fangs slid out.

Rebekah arrived with two minutes to spare. This trying to be a human thing was becoming difficult. When she walked into the store she found a couple of young humans stocking the front of the store, placing cups in the dispensers, filling their shake machine, filling the cooling area for the fries, throwing sacks of chicken nuggets and chicken fillets into a stand up cooler. Rebekah wrinkled her nose as she watched a man open a box with sleeves of pre-sliced hamburger patties and place them into a cooling space attached to the grill. Whereas Rebekah had not shied away from blood since she had been turned, the sight of it sliding around the uncooked meat made her want to gag.

Rebekah walked away quickly looking for Elijah. He was in the office filling out paperwork. She walked in and perched on the desk draping Elijah's suit over her knee. Her brother looked up at her, surprised to see that she was dressed sensibly in a light pink button down shirt and pair of black dress pants. Unfortunately, he looked down at her feet and noticed that while she was wearing close-toed shoes, the shoes had a four inch heel. He looked back up at her ready to say something. That is when he noticed the dangly earrings in her ears.

Elijah began to rub his head. "Rebekah, about your shoes and the earrings…"

Rebekah beamed with pride. "Yes, they are magnificent aren't they?" She looked down at her shoes. "I was looking for outfits to wear to this place and I found these and I knew they would be wonderful with this outfit. I mean this place does not scream class but with a few improvements I believe that we can make it into something."

"Rebekah," Elijah sighed, "they are lovely shoes but the point is that you could fall. We are putting on the pretense that we human. If you fall and then heal too quickly, people will become suspicious."

Rebekah laughed without mirth. "Oh Elijah, you give these humans too much credit. You have to remember I go to school with most of them." She peered around the corner to look at the crew. "Except for that guy. Where did he come from?"

Elijah looked at the man in question. "I don't know," he said. He looked at the man who was large and had tattoos from his hands leading up his arms and one on the back of his neck. Elijah turned in his chair and pulled out a box with the new employees' applications inside. Kol hadn't done a background check on any of these people apparently. Nor had he checked that they were allowed to work legally or if they were of age.

Elijah asked Rebekah to find out the name of the gentleman in question. She came back in two minutes later. "His name is Andrew Brown." Elijah looked through the applications and found one with the name of Andrew Brown. Apparently the man did not have a life because he was open to work any hour of the day or night.

Elijah peered at the man again. 'Well, that might come in handy. He seemed strong. Although he did not seem to have many social skills. He looked over the application. Mr. Brown was forty-five years-old. He had had steady employment with a factory for five years and his last address was Mississippi State Correctional. 'What,' Elijah thought in dismay. He turned the application over. There were a list of the crimes that Mr. Brown had been convicted of: armed burglary, attempted murder, manslaughter, assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest. Elijah closed his eyes, "Dear god, what was Kol thinking?" He muttered to himself.

"Rebekah," Elijah called, "Would you tell Mr. Brown I need to talk to him, right now."

Rebekah was inspecting her nails. "He's in the walk-in thing with Jenny." She was surprised when Elijah got up and ran toward the walk-in, jerking the door open.

Rebekah leaned down and picked up Mr. Brown's application and began to read it. Her eyes widened when she saw his rap sheet. "Oh." Her lips were still making an O shape when Jenny walked out of the walk-in with a container with packages of shredded carrots, a couple of whole cucumbers, and shredded cheese within the container. Mr. Andrew Brown was walking behind her carrying a box of romaine lettuce.

Elijah looked stunned as he watched the young girl unload the ingredients for a salad onto the table and thanked the ex-felon for carrying the box for her. As Rebekah knew from being on the cheerleading squad with Jenny for the last year, the girl wasn't very strong and they tried to leave her out of the pyramid.

Mr. Brown now went into the back while Jenny unpacked the lettuce. Rebekah watched as Mr. Brown re-appeared with a large knife and walked over to Jenny. When he lifted the knife, she and Elijah screamed, "No," at the same time. They could have stopped the scene unfolding before them but they were trying to pretend to be human.

Jenny and Mr. Brown both looked up, trying to understand why their management team were screaming. Rebekah and Elijah were staring at the head of lettuce which sat on the table in two halves, wobbling back and forth. They had both expected to see Jenny's head doing that instead. When the crew realized that there was nothing wrong, Mr. Brown handed Jenny the knife and watched as she tentatively took it and attacked the next head of lettuce. Mr. Brown went over to the sink and turned it on and placed the plug in the bottom. He asked Jenny if she needed anything else before he returned to his own duties.

Elijah returned to the office and he and Rebekah began to laugh. "This was going to be a long day."

Neither of them knew how true that statement was until the store opened at ten am. Everything was ready. The man who was to fix the ice machine was coming in at 1 pm. Rebekah had decided to handle the front counter until 11 am when Elena was due to appear with Damon and a few other crew members. She was staring at the door with anticipation. She hadn't thought to figure out how to ring up the orders. She thought it would be self-explanatory. 'Anyone can do this job,' she thought.

Half an hour later Rebekah was leaning against the thingy that held their salads, soups and various items she did not care about. She was not having any fun. "Where all the people, Elijah?" Elijah had changed and kept reaching up to adjust his tie. He sighed for what must have been the fiftieth time that he had reached for the absent piece of cloth, as well as the fiftieth time Rebekah had asked him that question.

At the precise moment they heard the front door chime and Rebekah leapt forward with an eager smile on her face. She wanted to try out her new toy or so that is what she had decided that the register was. Her smile turned to a scowl and her shoulders slumped when she saw Elena and Damon walk in. His arm was draped around the doppelgänger's waist and they were talking to each other.

Suddenly, there was a noise to the right and Rebekah turned to Elijah, who was looking down at the headset laying around his neck like a strange accessory. "I think someone is speaking to me," he said, taking the set and placing it over his ear. He jerked when he heard someone say, "I want an ice tea. With lemon, extra, extra lemon and sugar packets. And a lot of ice. But not too much ice. I want to know that there is actually tea in the cup."

Elijah responded, "Would you like anything else, Ma'am?"

"Hellllooooo," the disembodied voice shouted in his ear making Elijah jump backward, ripping the head set off and throwing it across the room. It hit one of the booths and smashed into little pieces.

Rebekah tried to stop herself from laughing. She walked out the door and asked the woman to pull up to the second window. They would take her order there. She went back inside and grinned when she saw Elijah staring at the elderly woman, who was glaring at him like she would leap out of the car at any second and beat him senseless. Not that it would have any effect.

Rebekah walked over to the window and attempted to open it. She continued to jerk on it, to no avail until Damon walked over and pulled her out of the way. He twisted a little knob looking thing and then pulled the window open. "Hello Ma'am, what can we get you today?" He gave her his knee bending smile and the old woman smiled politely, looked up at him and requested her tea once more. "That will be just one moment." He slid the window closed and turned to Rebekah, "You ring up the tea. I'll make it."

By the time Damon had the tea poured with just the right amount of ice and a bag with sugar packets, a straw and napkin complete, Rebekah was still staring at the register biting her lip. "What's wrong, Sexy Bexs?"

Rebekah stared at the register. "I tried to ring up the order but there is something wrong."

He looked at the screen on which she had rung up the order. It had even created a receipt which he grabbed and put in the in the bag. "What's the problem? You rang up the order."

"The cash register is not popping out." Rebekah was now glaring at her new enemy the cash register.

"That might have something to do with the fact that there are two windows?" Damon held up two fingers to emphasis. He pulled the window open, told the woman what her total would be, collected the three dollars she gave him and handed the old woman her drink. "I will be right back with your change."

Damon sauntered back to the back window. He popped the drawer open and found himself looking at nothing. "Umm… Elijah, there's a little problem back here." He held up two fingers to indicate the size of the problem and Elijah was headed his way, sighing.

"What now?" Elijah groaned. Elena came back with him to watch the drama unfold, sipping a small coke watching them with big eyes. 'This was definitely better than staying at home and watching bad talk shows,' she thought.

Damon pointed at the empty register. Elijah just stared at it. He had no idea what Damon wanted from him. Mr. Brown came up to him and said, "You might want to put a drawer in with cash to change out the orders." He said this quietly with his head down.

Damon nodded at Brown, "What he said." He folded his arms across his chest.

Elijah nodded. "Yes, sorry about that." He hurried back to the office and grabbed a drawer. He looked out and made sure that no one was looking. He vamp sped to the door and locked it. He counted out change for three drawers. One for the back register and two for the front. He unlocked the door and walked as quickly as he could at human speed and held out one of the drawers to Damon, who rolled his eyes.

Damon gave Elijah the change for the woman's tea. "Elijah," Rebekah yelled.

"What now?" he yelled back beginning to become very angry. He looked up to see a line forming in front of the counter. "Oh."

"Elijah, I need money now," Rebekah demanded. When she saw what he was carrying, she walked over to him and grabbed a drawer. She began to make change for a customer before opening the cash register. She simply took the young man's money and gave him his change. "Damon. Elena. I need help," she screamed and the customers jumped, as well as the human crew.

Elijah sighed as he handed the older woman her change. She muttered something about stupid Brits and drove off. He had to control himself from not either slamming the window shut and shattering it or jumping out, chasing the woman down and snapping her neck. 'Yes,' he thought, 'this will be a very long day indeed.'

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed and are reading this story. I will be posting part II on Thursday. Then I will post section III on Saturday. Chapter ten has a lot of Kol, since it's his shift. **** Afterward, Kol's going to take a little break but don't worry, he will rear his head again in chapter 13 with plenty of Bonnie/Kol interaction. There are about to be a lot of twists in the plot coming up very soon. Let's just say that a few characters are going to have a new appreciation for each other and their everyday life. Happy reading. And remember to review if you really want to see the sequel. I have four votes in favor. I just need twenty-one. Just say yes to the sequel. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello, Readers. Yes, it is that time again. Time for another installment of Welcome to 'Amp Burger. During this episode things are about to get a little gory but when half the team are vampires it's bound to happen. Don't worry too much. We are still in the light and fluffy mode before we delve into the dark depths of, dear God, is that Klaus' underwear drawer? Cover your eyes. There are children out there. Enjoy!**

Chapter 9: The Longest Day: Part II

Damon Salvatore was tired. He was tired of running between the front counter and the back window. He was tired of pretending to be human. He was tired of not being allowed to drink on the job. Every time he reached for his flask he felt Elijah eyeing him. At first he thought it was his imagination until he heard Elijah say, "Don't." Damon looked up and saw Elijah standing by the front window waving a finger at him.

That is why he was relieved when things stared to slow down. He had one of the crew members take over handing out change and slipped into the office. He pulled out his flask but then noticed that the door was open. Without getting up he rolled the chair over lifted his foot and shoved it closed. He uncapped the flask and had it held against his lips when he heard a knock on the door.

'Now what,' he thought, recapping the flask and growling. "This had better be good."

He opened the door to see Jenny holding her hand. His senses filled with a delicious fragrance of blood. "I was chopping up more lettuce for the salads. I guess we ran out already and I'm really bad with sharp objects. Do you know where the first aid kit is? I asked Rebekah and she said it was in the office." The cheerleader looked exhausted from today's session.

Damon took pity on her and had her sit down. He pulled out the first aid kit. Damon had her remove the paper towel she was using to stanch the blood. He took the towel and stared at her hand. 'When was the last time he'd eaten?' He was beginning to lose control and decided to give in. "Jenny," he moved her long red hair behind her ear and looked into her wide green eyes. "Jenny, whatever happens next I want you to remain calm and do not scream. Okay?" he smiled at the girl as she nodded.

Damon took her hand and began to drink. Jenny let out a little moan but was silent for the most part. He pulled back after a moment and turned around when he heard the door knob turn.

Rebekah opened the door and moved inside quickly, shutting the door behind her and locking it. "What are you doing," she hissed. "She," Rebekah pointed at Jenny, "is supposed to be making salads, not acting as a side dish."

"Oh Rebekah, relax. I was hungry. I fed. Everything is cool." He looked at Rebekah and then lifted his eyebrows with a smirk. Then he held out Jenny's hand. "How about you, Bexs? Are you hungry?"

Rebekah was trying to fight it but as she watched a drop of blood trail down the girl's finger she couldn't take it anymore. She found herself on her knees licking the blood off the girl's finger and then sinking her teeth into Jenny's out stretched palm. The blood tasted so good and she couldn't stop. She had been drinking out of blood bags lately, afraid she would bite Matt. And now the blood was so warm.

Damon watched Rebekah slowly drain the girl. He knew he should probably stop her, but what the hell, she was his boss after all. Instead, he stroked Jenny's hair while Rebekah continued to feed and then the girl slumped forward. Rebekah sat back panting, a smile on her face, blood on her chin.

The doorknob turned again and Elijah walked in. When he saw Jenny, he closed the door and gritted his teeth, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Alright, which one of you thought it would be a good idea to eat the help." His voice was low but Rebekah knew that this was a bad sign. That was the tone that he used before someone got their ass kicked.

"It was Damon. He told me to feed from her." Rebekah was sitting on the floor, pointing at Damon.

Damon was scoffing and waving his hands. "Oh no, you don't. You do not get to blame me for this. Yes, I told you to feed. At no time did I say go ahead and drain her. For God sakes Elena's right out there. Do you think I want her walking in here and seeing this?"

Elijah was thinking about the fact that the humans might come back here and find the girl. He searched the room for some place to put her. "Get me a box," he demanded.

"What kind of box?" Rebekah asked.

"One big enough to fit the young lady in," he pointed at her. "Damon get me some paper towels. I need to clean her hand."

Damon and Rebekah left and Elijah locked the door. There was a tap on the door a moment later. He opened it an inch and peeked out at the person on the other side. Elena was looking at him. "Hi Elijah," she said.

Elijah looked down at the doppelgänger. "Hello Elena, is there something that you need?" He opened the door a little wider but blocked her view with his body. Although, she wasn't attempting to look past him.

"I was hoping I could take a break now," she smiled at him and it reminded him of Katherine when she was still human. He had to stop himself from going too far down memory lane. "Yes, yes you may." He smiled at her, his jaw muscles tight from anxiety.

Elena turned around and nearly collided with Damon. He had both wet and dry paper towels in his hands. "Hey Elena, where are you off to?"

"I'm going on break," She tucked some hair that escaped from her ponytail behind her ear.

"Do you mind if I join you?" Damon asked.

"Do managers even get breaks?" Elena looked from Damon to Elijah.

Elijah glared at Damon. Finally he gave up and shrugged. "Why not? Go ahead." He took the paper towels from Damon.

"What are those for?" Elena pointed at the towels.

Rebekah answered for them, "We're cleaning. You can never be too clean in a restaurant." She moved between Damon and Elena with a lettuce box.

"What's that for?" Elena pointed at the box.

Rebekah turned to Elena after she handed the box to her brother, who closed the door. "Aren't you supposed to be on break or something?"

Elena opened her mouth to respond when Damon turned her around. "You know what sounds great after being here all day: sushi."

Elena laughed, "You want to get raw food."

Damon nodded his head emphatically, "Yes. Yes, I do. Now let's go before Rebekah climbs on her broom stick and reminds us that we only have half an hour."

Rebekah waved them away, "Oh no, take your time." When they went around the corner Rebekah went back inside the office. Elijah had cleaned the girl's hand and placed her inside the lettuce box. "Rebekah," he said, placing his hand on her shoulders. "You must promise me this will not happen again."

"Yes Elijah." She looked at her feet.

"Now, go and tell the rest of the crew to go on break," Elijah instructed his sister. When he heard the last of the humans leaving, he picked up the box and carried it out back to his car. "I am sorry about this," he told the girl in the box and he placed it inside the trunk of his car. In two hours his shift would end and he would bury the girl's body. "It was a shame she did a good job today," he thought. He sighed and went back inside to complete the shift.

Two hours later Caroline, Matt, Tyler and Bonnie arrived for their shift. There was no sign of Kol. Half an hour later everyone heard a horn honk in the parking lot. Kol jumped down from the driver's seat of the semi that he had been driving when they last saw him. He was dressed in a plaid shirt and a pair of jeans. There was a baseball cap on his head and a grin on his face.

"Is everyone ready for my shift?" he called. There was a collective groan from the crew and management. Elena and Bonnie glared at Kol. Caroline was looking forward to her break and Tyler and Matt were taking bets on who would walk out first before the night ended.

Damon was headed back to the office to have another drink. Kol caught up with him. "Hey Damon, is it, right?"

Damon nodded. And Kol perceived Damon's head movement as a response. "How is young Miss Gilbert? You know… I wanted to know because I was considering giving her a test drive."

Damon turned slowly to the Original beside him. "What did you just say?" He was on the edge of finding out how much damage he could do to an Original when he heard a cough behind him. He turned to Elijah.

Elijah was looking at the two. "I expect to come back to find this place in one piece. And Kol, stay away from Elena." He stared at his brother until Kol bowed.

"Yes, sir," Kol grinned at his brother. 'Oh, tonight is going to be so much fun,' he thought.

Elijah and Rebekah left in a hurry. This was one of the worst days of their lives and they just wanted to go home. Unfortunately when they got home there was another drama to contend with.

When Rebekah opened the door she had to step over the body of a blonde haired, blue eyed girl, who stared up at her vacantly. Rebekah and Elijah walked over a trail of blondes. It was like they were human bread crumbs leading them on a trail directly to their brother's studio. There were more women on the steps. They had all been drained.

When they got to the studio there were a pile of bodies. All of the women were blonde and blue eyed. On the couch there were three more sitting up. Klaus was sitting on a stool with a pile of empty tequila bottles to his right and a bottle of red paint to his left. He was painting, using the thick red substance which turned out to be blood.

Their brother turned to them, "Those three are the ones that look most like Caroline." He pointed his paintbrush at them. "I went into her room and dressed them to look like her. I thought the clothes would help. They don't." He was staring at his painting swaying from side to side. He got up and threw his arms around Elijah's neck. "Why doesn't she love me, 'Lijah?" He looked like he was on the verge of tears.

Elijah looked down at his brother's head as it was now shaking, as he openly sobbed into Elijah's shirt. "I don't know." Elijah stood stiffly and patted his brother on the back.

Rebekah was looking around at the group of women. For once she was truly glad she was not human. She shuddered as she looked at the girls. "Bekah," Klaus called, he was beckoning her over and she stepped away from her brother, shaking her head. She tripped over a blonde and screamed. She ran out of the room and screamed again when she found more blondes in the hallway, the bathroom and saw more in Klaus' bedroom. She had seen Klaus lose it before but this was horrible.

Elijah and Klaus walked into her room and found her quietly sobbing. She was in the fetal position on her bed. When Klaus reached out to touch her shoulder, she turned around and decked him. "How could you, you bloody monster? Those girls don't just look like you little Caroline; they also look like me. My God, Nik. How would you feel if I rounded up every guy who looked like you in the tri-state area and slaughtered them?"

Klaus was sitting on the floor. "I'm sorry, Rebekah. But you know how I am I can't help it any more than you can." He got up on his knees, taking his sister's face in his hands. "I would never do those things to you, Bekah. This girl is just driving me crazy."

"Then kill her, Nik," Rebekah was nodding at her brother, her face in his hands. She knew that was the only way. He had to kill her and then the doppelgänger. Then they could leave this miserable town and be a family. Her eyes shown with hope until she saw Klaus' jaw tighten. He looked down at the floor and she could see that the walls were going back up. He was turning his emotions back off as he let go of her and pushed himself to his feet.

"I'll have someone clean these up," he said as he left.

Elijah looked at Rebekah as tears trailed down her cheeks. He could only hope that Kol's day was going better.

Back at the store Kol had found the radio and kept flipping channels every five minutes up and down. He settled on Italian opera at maximum level.

On the floor, Damon was openly drinking and Elena was asking customers to repeat their orders every thirty seconds. Caroline had the back window open and was hanging halfway out of it. Tyler was angrily hitting the hamburger patties like they were a certain manager's face with his spatula. Matt was snacking on fries and chicken nuggets when people weren't looking. Bonnie was handling her ninety-eighth customer complaint about the music.

'That is it,' she thought as she turned and stormed toward the office. She found Kol playing with his Xbox again. "Kol," she yelled. He was pretending to ignore her but she saw the glint in his eye and the hint of a smirk. "Oh, you little bastard." She grabbed a stool and pulled it forward. She climbed on it and reached to turn the radio down. She moved a bit too far to the left and tipped. Kol was out of his chair and had his arms wrapped her legs in an instant. She stared at him for a moment and then propped her butt against his shoulder. She turned the radio down. Kol set her down on the floor. Bonnie turned to face him.

"If the music was too loud all you had to do was say something," he grinned mischievously at her.

Bonnie shook her head at him. "I have orders to take and I need to re-stock. It seems that somebody forgot. Oh right, that would be your sister."

Kol walked out of the office with her. "I can help."

Bonnie turned to him. "You help," she snorted, "sure."

"What I cannot the rest if you have all the fun, now can I?" He was beaming at her and she knew she was in big trouble with this one.

When Kol went up to the counter he looked around. "What are you waiting on?" he asked one of the customers.

"My sandwich," the guy said.

Kol turned to Damon, "Well, you heard the man. Hop to it, sandwich boy."

Damon glared at him. "I would but the chicken isn't done," Damon snapped.

"Really, how long does it take?" Kol walked over to the pressure cooker.

Tyler turned around, "The chicken shouldn't be done for about another five minutes."

Kol nodded and turned to the customer. "I suppose you'll be waiting then. Or you could have a nice hamburger. We have plenty of those."

The guy at the counter shook his head. "I would prefer a chicken sandwich."

Kol smiled at him. "I would prefer that I could eat, drink and be merry round the clock but we can't all have what we want, can we?"

The guy just stared at Kol. "I want a chicken sandwich."

"Alright then, the man wants a chicken sandwich. And a chicken sandwich he shall have." Kol reach out grabbed a bun and then grabbed a handful of chicken nuggets. He then asked what the guy wanted on it.

Bonnie told him, "Mayonnaise, tomato and lettuce."

Kol slapped a piece of tomato and a piece of lettuce on the chicken which he squashed with the palm of his hand. He then took his finger and put in the mayonnaise pan and spread it on the bun. He slapped the sandwich together and placed it, unwrapped, on a tray and handed it to the customer. The crazed glint in his eye caused the man to back off, slowly.

"Damon, find something else to do," Kol demanded, shoving him away from the sandwich station. He grinned at Bonnie before twirling his finger around to indicate that she needed to take more orders.

Damon held back the desire to pounce upon Kol right then and there. Instead, he decided to join Elena in the drive-thru. He gently removed the head set from her head and began to rub her temples. Without looking up from the disturbing sandwich he was making and throwing it onto a tray Kol said, "Hands off the crew, Salvatore."

Damon gritted his teeth staring at the sandwich Kol was making. It looked like he placed honey mustard sauce and barbeque, pickles, mustard, carrots, a slice of cheddar cheese on a burger and now he was placing French fries on top like he thought he was on Martha Stewart's cooking show. He placed a bun on top, gently, before he took his hand and slapped it down. After all this preparation he took the unwrapped sandwich and placed it on the tray.

When Bonnie came over to pick up an order of French fries, Kol grabbed her hand. "Nope, we need to keep supply cost down." He grabbed a tray and threw the fries on top and then he took the spoon for the sandwiches and plopped a generous mound on top. Bonnie simply stared at the tray in horror until Kol turned her around and directed her back toward the counter. He turned toward Tyler. "Get me more ketchup, Wolf Boy." Tyler glared at him but turned to fetch the sauce. Elena was glaring at Kol. "What do you want?" he snapped at her.

"I want the sandwiches for the drive-thru. We've been waiting for half an hour," she snapped back.

Kol looked at the timer. It read thirty-five minutes and counting. "Fine," he yelled. He began wiping wrapped sandwiches together faster than Elena could blink. Each one he threw at her. Once or twice he aimed for her. The rest of time he aimed for any clean area of the second window. "I need buns," he screamed at Caroline.

"What," she yelled, popping her head out only to be hit in the face with a bun. "What the Fuck," she screamed at Kol.

"More buns," Kol screeched making everyone, including Damon, place their hands over their ears.

"Seriously," Caroline screeched back at him. She warmed some buns and then began throwing them at Kol. Tyler got hit and threw a bun back at Caroline. Pretty soon buns were flying everywhere, along with ketchup, any sauce, and mustard bottles were being used. Kol actually refrained from using any hot product but anything else that was not bolted down was flying through the air in a matter of minutes.

The whole food fight seemed to have become contagious because everyone in the dining room had joined in. Soon there was food everywhere, behind the counter and over the counter. Bonnie had taken cover in the corner of the second drive-thru window with Elena and Damon. She held a mustard bottle in one hand and an open packet of Ranch dressing in the other. Elena popped her head up slowly to look for Caroline. She ducked back down, "Caroline is down. Repeat Caroline is down."

Bonnie peered around the corner to see Caroline had been trussed up like a turkey. She had her hands and feet bound with plastic bun bags. She was wiggling, trying to free herself. As far as they knew Kol had disappeared into the walk-in. Tyler was hiding in the men's room. Matt had disappeared into the dining room.

Damon whispered to Elena and Bonnie. "I'm going in ladies," Elena nodded. They each left their little corner and when they got to Caroline, Damon held up his finger to her. She nodded quietly. He picked her up and they moved as quickly as possible toward the second window. When they were safe Damon untied Caroline. She thanked him quietly. They were quiet for the next fifteen minutes, waiting.

Finally, Damon spoke up, "We have five more minutes before the shift is over and then we can go." They began to count down, when it was down to the last thirty seconds they all smiled at each other. They had made it through their first shift together, alive. They hugged each other beginning to giggle. That is until the window suddenly opened and a bucket of ice was thrown on all of them.

Kol jumped through the window with a wide smile. "You're free to go. Except Caroline. The night's just beginning for the two of us."

Caroline gulped and watched as her friends ran for the door.

**Special thanks go out to my reviewers, fans and loyal readers or any readers. You can cheat as much as you want i.e. you can read other people's work. I won't feel threatened. Speaking of other people's work, if you have time please read imdrowninfootwear's one-shot, Reunion. It is dedicated to yours truly and is a lovely little story about Jenna and Alaric. RIP. Thank you, Fallen Witch Angel and imdrowninfootwear. Your reviews remind me why I chose to write this story in the first place. If you're wondering, no, I am not drunk writing or at least I don't believe I am. Anyway, thank you guest reviewers for reviewing I will try to give you a heads up on when I remember which chapter is ahead and what the heck happened i.e. whi.h are Delena, Klaroine or Kennett or all three. Please remember to vote for the sequel. You can also review this story if you would like to and let me know that you love me and want me to continue until I run out of ideas. I hope that never happens. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello, all of you lovely people out there. It is Saturday and as I promised, I am posting the last part The Longest Day. Things are about to get a little crazy or crazier at our favorite little restaurant. Thank you for reading and I will meet you at the end of this chapter.**

Chapter 10: The Longest Day: Part III

Tyler Lockwood was still hiding in the men's bathroom twenty minutes after Elena Gilbert, Bonnie Bennett, and Damon Salvatore ran as fast as they could out the front door of 'Amp Burger. Tyler did not know his friends had fled. Nor did he know Kol had forgotten that Bonnie was part of the crew that were supposed to close. When Kol did remember he had chased her down and physically carried her back into the store.

Tyler was extremely worried because it had gotten extremely quiet outside the men's room. He wanted to check on Caroline but he was also in no hurry to go back into that war zone. Since Tyler had been headed to the men's room in the first place when the whole thing began he had ducked in for safety and stayed there for hours.

'No one told me that this was what work is like,' Tyler thought. 'This is crazy.' He jumped when he heard the sound of footsteps approaching. He was locked in a stall with his feet on the seat. 'They can't see me,' he thought, beginning to panic.

Matt knocked on the door to the men's room. "Hey dude. It's over. You can come out now." Tyler sighed in relief. He unlocked the stall door and opened it. When he stepped into the hall he was amazed to see the hall was covered in food. Tyler had a weird feeling as he turned the corner that something was wrong, very, very wrong.

Tyler's suspicions were confirmed when Bonnie and Caroline jumped out at him. Each of the girls was carrying a bottle filled with mustard and another filled with ketchup. Matt had two bottles, full of other sauces in his back pockets which he removed when the girls appeared. Instead of helping his friend Matt lifted the two bottles, directing them at Tyler. Kol appeared behind his female crew members with a full bucket of ice.

"You thought you could escape but there is no escape," Kol stated, calmly. Matt, Caroline and Bonnie surrounded Tyler. Kol balanced the bucket of ice on one shoulder as he held his other hand in the air, finger pointing skyward. "Ready," he ordered the group. "Aim. Fire." Everyone with a bottle began to cover Tyler in sauces. When they were done Kol walked with that maniac gleam in his eye and dumped the ice on Tyler.

Tyler began to splutter. If only his mother could see him now. Then he began to laugh. For one of the first times in Tyler's whole life he was acting like the kid that his parents had refused to let him behave like growing up. He reached out and grabbed a bottle from Matt and began spraying Caroline, who shrieked and ran behind Kol. Bonnie handed Kol a bottle. They kept at this for another hour.

Any customer who came in left immediately after they were covered in sauces by the crazed crew and manager. They were all acting like small children but for Kol and Tyler, they were experiencing a childhood neither had really been allowed to experience. After awhile they ran out of sauces and were tired from running all over the restaurant. Kol made a call and someone delivered a lot of alcohol. The crew were too tired to try to figure out Kol how managed that. "Alright," he said. "Ladies and Gentleman, let's get wasted."

At some point someone suggested that they play truth or dare. They were using one of the empty plastic sauce bottles as the spinner. Tyler was the first victim. Kol could barely contain his glee as he asked, "Tyler, truth or dare?" Kol wanted to start out slow.

"Dare," Tyler didn't want people to think he was chicken.

Kol sat back on his elbows. They had been sitting in a booth but after too much drinking they all decided they preferred the floor. "'Tyler Lockwood," he said, drawing out the torture. "I want you to take all of your clothes off and run around the parking lot."

Caroline sat up straighter, smiling. Tyler looked at his friends and decided to get up and do what his boss told him to do. In his drunken state he decided to enact a secret fantasy. He always wanted to know what it would be like to be a male stripper. So, he began to tug his t-shirt off really slowly. Caroline was cheering. Bonnie had covered her eyes but was peeking with a little smile. As for Matt and Kol they had lost interest and were playing a game in which every time a piece of Tyler's clothing came off they took a shot from a random bottle.

Caroline and Bonnie were now on their feet dancing with Tyler, who was down to his boxers. Kol turned to them after ten minutes of dancing. "I said run through the bloody parking lot. NOW!" Kol was on his feet. "And if you don't go now I will chase you." Kol plopped back down after Tyler jerked his boxers down and ran for his life. They could hear him hooting through the parking lot until he came back through the door he exited through.

Caroline ran over to him and hugged him, forgetting Tyler was naked. Kol fell backwards laughing at the couple as they embraced like they had been apart for years rather than mere minutes. After Tyler found his clothing they decided to resume the game. Tyler spun the bottle and it landed on Kol.

Kol clapped his hands, delighted. "Okay, then. Give it to me."

Everyone in the group began to laugh and roll around on the floor.

Kol looked down at them. "I think all of you have had far too much to drink. That means only one thing." He held up a finger and they all stared at him, trying to sober up. "You need to keep drinking," he cheered.

"Kol, I want you to eat one of your mystery sandwiches," Tyler felt proud of his dare.

Kol began to stand up. "Alright."

"Oh, no you don't." Tyler reached out and pulled Kol back down, who was frowning now. "Matt go make Kol a sandwich and wrap it, dude. Kol, you have to close your eyes. You don't get to know what you'll be eating."

Matt jumped to his feet. He actually thought this would be fun as he went behind the counter trying to decide what he would serve his new boss. Thankfully, there were still sauces hidden in case of a food fight emergency. Matt decided to make a fish sandwich. It would have bacon bits, croutons, blue cheese dressing a slice of Swiss cheese, hot sauce for chili, some shredded carrots, pickle and a couple pieces of basil. He wrapped the creation carefully for Kol.

Tyler was smiling when Kol unwrapped the sandwich. Kol sniffed it, "It smells divine." Kol opened his mouth and took a healthy bite. He chewed it slowly as Caroline and Bonnie wrinkled their noses. "Hmm…," Kol opened his eyes and smiled. "Matt you are an excellent sandwich maker." Kol continued to eat the sandwich while the others looked on in horror. When he was done he got up and grabbed a napkin to wipe his mouth with and sat back down. "My turn again." He spun the bottle. It landed on Caroline.

"Car-o-line," Kol sang her name making the girl across from him shiver involuntarily.

"Yes," she said, meekly.

"Truth or Dare, Car-o?" he drew out the last vowel pursing his lips.

Caroline squirmed. She did not want to answer truth because she was afraid he was going to ask her something deeply personal and she was soooo not drunk enough for that. After a brief pause she answered, "Dare."

Kol smirked, "Alright, it is time for you to try one of my concoctions. Close your eyes, dear."

Kol went back behind the counter trying to decide what to feed the girl that would not kill her. His eyes landed on the shake machine. He poured out strawberry, vanilla and chocolate, mixing them together. Then he walked over to the drink machine and poured in a little bit from each, Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Mr. Pibb, Root Beer, Lemonade, Tea and Fruit Punch. He went back around the counter and waved for Matt to bring him various bottles of alcohol. Matt silently brought him bottles of bourbon, of vodka, of tequila, of rum, of whiskey, of brandy and scotch. Kol mixed all of this together, whistling. He placed a straw in the top and brought a napkin and a small wastebasket in case the girl threw up. He would not clean up vomit.

Kol placed the drink in Caroline's hands. She started to open her eyes. "No peeking, little girl. Now, try your drink." He watched as Caroline's face wrinkled and she gingerly brought the straw to her lips. She took a tentative sip and then gagged. Tyler pushed the wastebasket closer to her.

"What is in this thing?" Caroline opened her eyes and gawked at the strange mixture. Kol just smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

Caroline took the plastic bottle and spun it. It landed on Bonnie. Caroline began to think about what she wanted to ask or make her friend do. She absentmindedly began to sip at her drink. "Truth or Dare, Bonnie?"

Bonnie looked around the group. She did not want to chicken out but she did not want to have to kiss someone in this group which is usually what happened when Caroline dared her to do something. "Truth."

"Okay," Caroline sipped her drink. 'This thing grows on you,' she thought. "I want you to tell us when you discovered you're a witch."

"What?' Bonnie was confused. 'Where did that come from?' she was genuinely unsure of what Caroline wanted her to say.

"Come on, Bonnie," Caroline was leaning forward and Bonnie leaned back because that shake on her friend's breath was hazardous. "I want you to confess that you're a witch. And I don't mean like you know stuff. I mean I want you to admit that you can do magic."

Matt turned to Bonnie raising his eyebrows. "Really?'

Bonnie felt uncomfortable talking about this, especially in front of Kol because she didn't trust him. She sighed as she felt the group staring at her. Finally she looked up, "My Grams told me a while back that I was a witch and I didn't believe her. I mean I still don't. Not really but I've been reading some of these books she has. They're called Grimoires and I can move stuff around a little. Sometimes I can make lights go on and off. It's no big deal and I don't even know how much I can do, right now?"

"Do you fly on a broomstick?" Tyler asked. Caroline punched him in the arm. "Ow, geez, Care." He turned back to Bonnie, "It's just that I've never met a witch before. And this is kind of weird because my uncle Mason was telling me that I'll be a werewolf if I kill someone. Is that weird or what?'

Caroline was tugging at the straw in her cup gulping the drink down.

Matt looked from Tyler to Bonnie. This was just too weird.

Kol slapped his hands together, "So shall we get on with it or are we now going to pay true confessions."

Bonnie shrugged and then spun the bottle It landed on Matt. "Okay Matt, truth or dare?"

Matt chuckled, "I've never been dared by a witch before," he teased. Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Okay, dare."

Bonnie smiled, "You asked for it. I want you to climb on the counter and perform the "To be or not to be" scene from Hamlet with a head of lettuce wearing only your underwear.

Tyler looked at Bonnie. "Why is it that only the guys have to take their clothes off?" Bonnie shrugged.

"Well, you don't have to dare me to take mine off," Kol got up and began to undress while Matt headed back to the walk-in for a head of lettuce. When Matt came back he noticed that his boss was down to a pair of reindeer boxers. He decided not to ask. After Matt took off everything but his blue plaid boxers, he climbed on the counter. "To be or not to be," he said to the lettuce head trying not to laugh or fall off the counter.

When Matt's dare was completed Caroline leaned toward Kol and requested another shake. Without a word he got up and made her one. He also made himself one. As well as making less pungent shakes for Matt, Bonnie and Tyler, since they were being good sports.

They ended up daring each other to do more scenes from Shakespeare's works. Caroline and Tyler re-enacted the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet. Tyler performed Juliet's role while Caroline was Romeo. Bonnie performed as Lady Macbeth trying to clean a spot on the lobby floor which really wasn't coming out. Tyler and Matt pretended to be Tybalt and Romeo and battled with brooms. Kol became King Lear stripping off his underwear and requested that Matt be his fool for the scene.

Bonnie tried not to stare but Kol's Lear was so bad that they all got over the trauma of seeing their manager naked quickly. Tyler, Caroline and Bonnie had laughed so hard they were all crying.

Finally they decided to change the game to dare Bonnie to do magic stuff. Soon the lights kept going on and off. Matt asked her to make the French fries march around the dining room. To their awe she managed to make it happen. They watched as the French fries marched all the way to the back of the store and each found their way back into the bin.

"Wow," they all said.

Koll was the only one not impressed by the French frie march. "I want you to summon someone."

Bonnie was surprised that Kol looked serious. "I don't know how to do that."

Kol's lips turned up slightly. "That's okay, because I do."

He went in the back and retrieved a bowl. He gave it to Bonnie. He pulled a small piece of cloth out that looked really old and put it in the bowl. Then he took out a small knife and drew a small amount of blood from his palm. "I want you to summon my father, Mikael Mikaelson."

Everyone looked at him. "Why would you want to do that?" Caroline asked.

"I don't know if he's really dead. My brother, I'm sure you are familiar with him, Nik. He told me that my father is dead and I want to make sure that he was not lying."

This quieted the group. Kol walked Bonnie through how to do the spell. At first nothing happened. Then suddenly there was an older man standing before them. He was tall, had blond hair and blue eyes and hadn't shaved recently. He was wearing modern clothing but something about him felt old. Bonnie shivered. Soon there were two more people by his side.

Bonnie looked at Kol and his eyes were wide. "Mother." He was looking at a blond woman, who stood beside Mikael. To her left was another woman. The woman was wearing an outfit straight out of the 19th century and she was smirking at Bonnie.

The three ghosts took in their surroundings. Ester was the first to speak. She turned to the humans first. "You are all in terrible danger. You need to leave this place now and never come back for another shift. I do not care how much money they offer you. Or whether they offer you eternal life. It is not worth. Look at how my son turned out." She gestured at Kol, who shrugged.

Emily was the next to speak. She looked at Bonnie. "You must not help Damon Salvatore. He must not open the tomb…" She stopped when she saw Kol waving a hand.

"Sorry, Witchy ancestor, but the tomb was opened about a year ago. Nik got rid of the tomb vampires. He thought they were disagreeable."

Emily sighed and turned to Ester. Ester whispered in her ear. "Thank you," Emily smiled at Ester, who nodded, smiling back. Emily turned back to Bonnie. "You must stop Niklaus from breaking the curse. You must protect the doppelgänger." Ester whispered in Emily's ear again. "Or you must kill her. No matter what Niklaus must not become the most powerful creature on earth as a hybrid."

"What's a hybrid?" Caroline piped up. "I thought it was a car or some kind of plant."

Ester held up a hand. "Silence," she commanded.

Caroline shrugged and muttered. "I don't know why she thinks that Klaus is going to turn into a car or a plant." She went back to sipping her drink.

Mikael finally spoke up. He turned to Kol, "Tell Klaus he will always fail at whatever he does."

Kol saluted his father. "Will do, Father." He sipped at his own drink.

Mikael turned to Caroline. "You are a stupid girl. You will die horribly. And you need to stop caring about Niklaus. He does not deserve it because he is a bastard. He is also a coward. And he killed a group of women who look like you today. So, in summary, don't love the little bastard. Oh, do send Niklaus my regards."

Kol rolled his eyes, "Well, this has been fun but not enough." Kol grabbed Bonnie's arm and she screamed. Suddenly, all of the ghosts were gone.

Bonnie was shaking, rubbing her arm. She looked at Kol, "What are you?" She asked her voice shaking.

"What do you think I am?" He let her see his eyes darken and his fangs protrude for a moment. "Don't worry, love, I like you so I won't hurt you. Unless you want me to." He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she just stared at him. "Okay, you all need to go home and get some sleep," he informed the group.

Kol thought about it for a moment. "Caroline, can you come back to the office for just a moment." They went back to the office while her friends waited in the lobby. Kol pulled her inside and closed and locked it behind them. She gulped wondering if he was going to try to grope her or something else gross. Instead, he took her chin in his hand and looked deeply into her eyes. "Caroline, you are deeply in love with my brother, Elijah. You will do anything to win his affection. As for my brother, Niklaus he is a vampire and you are terrified of him. You just found out that you are the doppelgänger and that Nik needs to use your blood to break his curse to release his werewolf side. Do you understand?"

Caroline nodded and Kol smiled. "Now, go along with your little friends. You are very tired." Caroline turned around and left. Kol smiled to himself as he left the office. When he came out Bonnie was still standing in the lobby.

"I thought I told all of you to go home," Kol gave Bonnie the closest thing he could come to being a stern look.

Bonnie looked at him with a slight smile tugging at her lips. "I thought I could help clean up and you could tell me what you know about witches."

Kol thought about it. "Okay." They cleaned the store in less than an hour. Mostly because Kol was cheating using vampire speed. He told Bonnie what he thought she should know and left out things he did not want her to know.

When they were done he compelled a cab driver to get her home safely. The last thing he did was a throw away the trash. There was a little dog looking for scraps and he tried to shoo it away. Every time he came back out with another bag the stupid ball of hair would walk with him. Finally, he became tired of its whimpering.

Kol picked the dog up and threw into the trash can. He dusted off his hands and turned to get in his vehicle and go home. He was climbing into the driver's seat of the semi, ready to drive home when he heard the whimper again. This time it was accompanied by the sound of scratching. Apparently, the little thing thought it could climb out.

Kol closed the door and started the engine. He began to drive away when he noticed something. The scratching and whimpering had stopped. 'Surely the little critter wasn't dead already,' he thought and then shrugged. He started to drive away, again, and then stopped. He jumped out of the truck, ran to the dumpster and jumped in.

Ten minutes later he was driving down the road with a small furry creature which smelled like garbage on the passenger seat. The creature was eating a cheeseburger Kol had made it. He leaned over to pet the thing every once in awhile. "I think I'll name you, Nik Jr. Maybe, I'll even turn you. Nik can't have all the fun, now can he?"

Kol pulled up to the Gilbert residence. He picked up his new pet, carrying Nik Jr. to the door. He pounded on the door. A sleepy looking strawberry blonde woman, who didn't look much older than Elena answered the door. The woman was yawning and pulled a robe around herself. "Can I help you?" she asked, looking at him bleary eyed.

Kol smiled at her. "I'm sorry. "I'm Kol Mikaelson, Elena's employer. She left her jacket and I wanted to give it back to her."

Jenna looked at him askance. 'This was Elena's boss,' she thought, "Umm… well it's really late and Elena's in bed."

Kol looked at her. "I would really like to speak to Elena."

Jenna's eyes glazed over. "Okay, just a minute." She went upstairs and a couple of minutes later an equally sleepy looking Elena came downstairs.

She put her hand up to cover a yawn. When she recovered she smiled at the smelly, little dog. "Hello Kol, umm… I don't think I brought a jacket."

Kol held up his hand. "That does not matter because your name is not really Elena Gilbert. Your name is Katherine Pierce. You are a vampire. You have lived for centuries on the run from my brother, Klaus. But you came back because you love him. Here are some pictures of yourself and some lovely films I have shot of you over the years. You will study these tonight and by tomorrow you will be back to your old self. Have a good night, Katherine."

Kol was smiling and stroking his new friend as he walked away. 'And so it begins.'

**Thank you to my reviewers Fallen Witch Angel, imdrowninfootwear and Guest reviewer. For my Kol fans, do not worry. Kol will return in chapter 14, which is loaded with Kennett. In the next chapter you will get to see how Klaus and Damon react to Kol's plan. I am currently working on chapter twenty-five and I believe there will be another ten before I finish up. The first chapter of the sequel will be posted the week following the end of this story and I will post a reminder. I'm still trying to think of a good title. The story will be a continuation of this story and will be part of the romance and humor genres. Currently, we are still in a fairly happy place in this story but there will be some tragedy coming up. Don't worry. All canon characters will survive. Please review, favorite, follow and vote for the unnamed sequel. **

**I will post on Monday and Thursday and possibly Saturday. Oh, and there is a big twist coming up in chapter 14. I hope you're excited. I am. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello, readers around the world. Wherever you are, I hope that your day turns out well and peaceful. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and I hope you enjoy reading it. **

Chapter 11: Who am I? What are you? Part I

Stefan Salvatore stood in front of the mirror fixing his hair. He heard his older brother, Damon, in the shower singing Bon Jovi's "It's My Life" complete with air guitar riffs. Damon called to Stefan "How's the super hero hair going, little brother?"

Stefan looked in the mirror, again. "It's great," he responded, flipping his brother off. 'Maybe I should get highlights. I hear Brad Pitt does,' he thought to himself.

Damon got out of the shower, looking at his brother, who was now fingering the ends of his hair. He shook his head. "Don't do it, Stef. Women prefer men with natural hair." He put an arm around Stefan's shoulders. Damon ran a hand through his own hair, not bothering with a brush. Stefan pushed Damon's arm off. "Can you please not touch me when you're naked?" Stefan grabbed a towel and threw it at his brother.

Stefan walked back to his room looking for one of his work shirts. Damon appeared in the doorway. Stefan began to turn around, "Damon, have you seen my work shirt. I thought I laid it o- Gah. Please put something on, already."

"Oh Stef, get over it. It's not like you haven't seen me like this before. I am your brother after all." To Stefan's dismay Damon came further into the room and laid down on Stefan's bed. He crossed his legs exposing a lot more than Stefan wanted to see ever, let alone at 6:30 in the morning. Damon reached behind him and began to read Stefan's diary. "Dear diary, I met a really cute girl today. I wanted to take her home and have the joy that is called sex with her and then drink her blood. But diary, alas I am celibate. So, I ran off into the woods and ate Bambi's mother. Then I felt guilty and sulked until my brother kicked my ass, again."

Stefan wanted his diary back but he was not about to wrestle a naked Damon to get it back. Stefan found another shirt and it threw over the parts of Damon he had had enough of being exposed to this morning.

Stefan finally found the gray shirt with the little vampire face on it and pulled it on and buttoned up. He shoved the tail into his black trousers. This was his shift opening with Klaus and Elena. He did not want to be late. "Bye, Damon. Try not to hurt too many people while I'm at work. And stay out of my room."

Damon leapt off the bed and was standing in front of Stefan in an instant, minus the shirt. "Are you off to work? Don't forget the lunch I packed for you." Damon disappeared into his own room. Stefan ran down the stairs and sure enough there was a bag waiting for him with a little note.

Dear Stefy,

I hope you have as delightful a day as I did yesterday.

Your Big Brother,

Damon

P.S.

I'm your ride. I will be down about….Now.

Damon ran down the stairs and Stefan groaned. "I do not need a ride. This is work I'm going to, not my first day of kindergarten."

Damon grinned, grabbing and twisting the door knob. "I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing this for E-len-a." Stefan was happy that Damon was happy because his older brother had stopped killing so many people. And Damon, for all his craziness, was beginning to show some humanity. Although, Stefan liked Elena, seeing his brother changing was more important to him at the moment.

They walked out to Damon's car. After arguing about the music and whether or not Damon was driving too fast they arrived at the Gilbert residence. They both got out of the car and Jenna answered the door. "Elena," she called up the stairs, "Damon and Stefan are here." Elena appeared at the top of the stairs. She was wearing a button down purple blouse with the 'Amp logo on it. A pair of super tight black pants. On her feet were a pair of five inch black heels. She sauntered down the stairs with a smirk on her face.

Damon's jaw had dropped as he looked at her red painted lips and at the amount of eyeliner she was wearing. Stefan was staring at the long flowing curls. When Elena walked out past them and then turned around jutting one hip to the side, the brothers traded a look. This was not Elena. They didn't say anything. They simply waved at Jenna. It wasn't until they got to the car and that Damon tossed his keys to Stefan and got in the back with "Elena," Damon lost his patience. When they were far enough away from her home Damon grabbed Elena by the throat. He had her pinned beneath him in seconds. "What have you done with Elena?"

It was not until the woman beneath him began to cough and sputter did he realize he was holding a human. This disturbed him more. If this woman looked like and acted like Katherine but was, in fact, human, what did that mean? He was deeply confused. "Who are you?"

The Katherine look alike said, "I am Elena Gilbert."

Damon looked at her, attempting to see if she was lying. Giving up he decided to compel her. "Who are you?"

"I am Katherine Pierce but I was Elena Gilbert. Or at least I thought I was." Elena shook her head, she was confused as Damon was.

"What does that even mean?" Damon raked a hand through his hair. He looked at Stefan, who shook his head. He didn't have any answers either.

Elena began to giggle suddenly, "Gotcha," she said.

Damon and Stefan were beginning to worry about the mental health of the person, whoever it was, in the car with them. "Look guys, Kol was telling me about your ex-girlfriend and I just wanted to play a joke on you. I'm sorry. I guess I thought it would be funnier. Anyway, we need to get to work. We don't want to deal with Klaus in a bad mood, do we?" Elena began to laugh again.

Damon relaxed, accepting her answer. Elena patted Stefan's shoulder. She left her hand there a little too long and Stefan wondered how long Elena's "little joke" was going to continue.

After Elena, Stefan and Damon got out of the car, Elena made a point of kissing Damon before they went in. Damon was surprised but happy. He had to unwrap her arms and tell her to have good day at work. "You might want to calm down your Katherine impersonation with Klaus. Okay?" Damon warned Elena as she grinned up at him and nodded.

The minute Damon left Elena turned around on her heel and rolled her eyes. She strode toward the back door. Stefan could swear he heard her say under her breath, "I thought he would never leave." She pushed the doorbell and then began to tap her foot impatiently. After a minute of waiting she reached out to push the bell again, when the door swung open.

Mr. Brown, who neither Stefan nor Elena knew, held the door for them to enter. They cautiously stepped inside. When Stefan saw Klaus sitting in the office, his head cradled in his hands, he figured that Mr. Brown must be another part of the crew. He put out his hand, "Hello, I'm Stefan," he greeted the man.

Mr. Brown took his hand. "I'm Andrew but I guess you can call me Mr. Brown. That's what the rest of the kids have been calling me." This was the most Mr. Brown had said to anyone so far.

Stefan looked up at the larger man. "What would you prefer to be called?"

Mr. Brown smiled at Stefan. It had been a very long time since anyone had asked him what he thought about much of anything. "You can call me, Andy."

"Well," Stefan stuffed his hands in his pockets and rocked on his feet. "It's nice to meet you Andy."

Elena excused herself saying that she needed to talk to Klaus about something. She walked into the office. "Hello Klaus," she said.

Klaus looked up and grimaced. "Hello Elena, I have you making salads this morning. If you need help it appears that Mr. Brown has some experience in this line of work." He turned his head to stare at a wall. Right now, he did not need to be reminded of another failing.

Instead of leaving, Elena strode over to Klaus. When she was right in front of him he had little time to react before she climbed on the chair with him. She moved so that she was straddling Klaus. "I can make you feel a lot better," she whispered into his ear. He looked at her like she had lost her mind. She leaned forward and kissed him on the lips and then began running her hands through his hair. One of her hands went down his back. He felt it slide to the bottom of his Henley and then it was making its way under the fabric sliding up his bare skin.

Klaus was still drunk and he thinking about whether this was hallucination brought on by far, far too much tequila. 'Yes,' he thought, 'I am asleep and this is not the doppelgänger in my lap. This is not the girl that I plan on draining sometime this summer…' Elena had now parted her lips and Klaus could feel her warm breath tickling his lips. His lips curled up involuntarily. He remembered this. Suddenly, he was standing in a meadow a thousand years ago and he had Tatia in his arms. Elena was pushing his jacket off and he was letting her. He felt her tugging at his Henley and then that was slipping over his head as he closed his eyes. He was pulling her closer, kissing her gently, moving from her lips to her neck, downward. She was stroking his hair while he unbuttoned her blouse and began to kiss and stroke the exposed flesh.

Klaus pulled back. He wanted to look into Tatia's eyes. It had been so long. He missed her. He would admit that for a thousand years he had wanted to be able to kiss her one last time. This is why he was afraid of Caroline. He was afraid of losing this girl the way he had lost Tatia. That he would not be able to protect her from the evil in the world. It was not just creatures like Klaus who did horrible things. It was people like his mother, who had taken Tatia from him. But now he had her back, even if just for moment. When he drew back he looked deeply into the eyes of the girl, who was sitting in his lap.

There was a knock at the door and Stefan Salvatore was standing there. Stefan had no idea what he just walked in on. But one thing was for sure, he was happy that it was him and not Damon. Klaus jumped to his feet, scowling. Elena fell on the floor, bumping her head. "Ow," she began to rub at the back of her head as Stefan came over to help her sit up and check that she wasn't hurt too badly.

Klaus turned around. His face was impassive. He looked at Stefan, his voice low. "I would suggest that you keep her away from me for the rest of the day."

Elena tried to get to her feet and run after him but Stefan held her in place. "I really think that would be a bad idea," he warned her.

Elena sat back down with a pout. "And we were just getting to the good part." She sat for a minute before a smile spread across her face and she pushed the door shut with her foot. Elena threw herself on Stefan, jerking her shirt off. Stefan was too shocked to stop her. "Oh Stefan, I missed you." Stefan thought that maybe he was in some alternative universe in which Elena was crazy. He grabbed her by the shoulders. "Elena, you do not want to do this."

"Yes, I do," she said.

Elena's hand were making short work of taking his belt off and then unzipping his pants. Her head began to descend when Stefan snapped out of it. "Elena, stop it," Stefan snapped. He grabbed her by the hair pulling her head back. His eyes had darkened and his fangs were out. The Ripper wanted to sink his teeth into her exposed neck. However, Stefan would not allow that to happen.

Stefan let go of Elena's hair and leaned back, making space between them. Elena was laughing at him. She picked up her shirt and buttoned it up. She then walked out of the office like nothing had happened. Stefan began to rub his head. This was bad. This was really, really bad. Stefan was looking forward to when Elijah was due to come in at 11 am. Hopefully, he could help.

When Elijah arrived he noticed that the mood between everyone was hostile. He noticed Miss Gilbert, was in the back window and that someone had apparently installed a door with a padlock on it. Even the seemingly unflappable Mr. Brown seemed to be uncomfortable when Elena appeared in the window of her door and waved at Mr. Brown. The gentleman in question averted his gaze and began to move the hamburgers on the grill around.

When Elena saw Elijah she began to wave at him with both hands, jumping up and down. He strode over to the door. Having no idea why someone had installed a door. "Ms. Gilbert why are you behind a door?" Elijah asked. He raised an eyebrow looking at the padlock.

Elena looked up at him with doe eyes. "I don't know. But the key is in the office. Klaus put it in the safe. Can you please let me out?" She pressed herself against the door.

"Alright," Elijah shook his head. He should have known that he could not leave his brother alone with this girl. Leave it to Klaus to lock her up. He found the key and walked back to the door. Elena was now talking to Matt Donavon, who had just arrived for his shift.

Elena was winking at Matt, unbuttoning her shirt and licking her lower lip. Elijah never could understand the mating rituals of teenagers today. Elena's attention refocused when she saw the key. She began to wave for Elijah to move faster. When he inserted the key he suddenly heard three men shout, "No," at the same time.

Elijah looked around at Klaus, Stefan and Mr. Brown. Brown was the first to speak, "Boss, you really do not want to let that woman out of there."

Just when Elijah was about to ask why not, he felt a hand on his arm. "Elijah, I need your help with something in the freezer." He turned around to see Caroline Forbes staring at him, with a playful smile on her face.

Elijah thought about it. "Alright," he turned to Elena. "Elena, I will be right back." Elena slumped back, pouting. Caroline looked in the window and waved happily at her friend before walking into the walk-in. Elena suddenly saw Klaus through the window and began to pound on the door. "Klaus. Klaus, let me out. I love you. Why don't you believe me? Let me prove it you." She screamed hitting and kicking the door. Klaus ran into the office and slammed the door shut.

Caroline was standing in the doorway of the walk-in. "Eli-jah," she called, batting her eyelashes at him. If Elijah was not sure that it was impossible, he would swear that the girl was flirting with him. He followed her in. They went into the freezer. He opened his mouth to ask what she wanted help with when the girl placed her hands on his shoulders and leapt up. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist and began to kiss him passionately.

While Elijah had to admit she was a good kisser, he knew that this was inappropriate behavior. He was not Kol, after all. He untangled her arms and set her on her feet. "Caroline, we cannot do this," he began and stopped when he saw the girl's eyes begin to glaze over with tears.

"You don't want me. Why don't you want me?" she was whimpering and was on the verge of sobbing. "I can do better. I'll, I'll iron your shirts. Yes, I can do that. I'll iron my own, too. And I'll starch them and press them. I'll improve my posture. I'll read the books that you like and go to all the boring stuffy things that you want to go to. I will be your perfect girlfriend. Because that is what I do. And then you'll want me, right?"

There were tears running down Caroline's face now and Elijah did not know what to do. He took the girl in his arms and rubbed her back. He never knew quite what to do when Rebekah behaved this way either but he tried. Fortunately, Rebekah never did what Caroline did right at that moment. She grabbed Elijah by the neck and pulled him to the floor with her. Rolling them over so that she was on top she began to kiss him again.

This girl did not take no for an answer. Elijah pushed them into a sitting position. "Caroline," he said, firmly as she ran her hands up and down his torso. That was, in fact, rather pleasant but that was not the point. "Caroline,' he tried again as she ran the tip of her tongue along the side of his neck and up to his earlobe. She captured it between her teeth and began to gently pull. "Oh, Caroline, oh, no." He picked her up and placed her two feet away from him.

"Caroline," he said, his voice low. "We cannot do this."

Caroline was crawling back to him on her knees, a grin on her face. "Yes, we can. I know you want to just as much as I do. I could feel that," she giggled and looked pointedly at his trousers. She climbed on top of him again. "I love you, Elijah," She whispered staring into his eyes. She grabbed his face in an attempt to kiss him again.

"Caroline," Elijah bellowed, finally having lost all of his patience. The door to the freezer was flung open and Klaus was standing there with Stefan behind him. In the next minute Caroline was in Stefan's arms and Klaus had his hand in Elijah's chest, his face a mask of rage.

"No," Caroline screamed. "Don't hurt him Klaus. Please, don't hurt him. I'll do anything." She jerked out of Stefan's arms and flung herself at Klaus' feet. "Please," she begged, sobbing. "I'll let you sacrifice me. I won't fight you. Just don't hurt Elijah. I love him. Please."

Klaus looked at the girl, shivering on the floor of the freezer, begging him to spare the life of his brother. He pulled his hand out of Elijah's chest and got down on his own knees. His own eyes were filled with tears. His heart was breaking. He gathered Caroline into his arms. "I won't," he said stroking her back. He pulled back and looked at her. "Why would I sacrifice you?"

"I'm the doppelgänger. Aren't I?" Klaus was holding her face in his hands, Elijah's blood smearing onto her left cheek.

"No, no, you are not. Why would you think such a thing?" Klaus' voice was gentle as he looked at Caroline, who was still shivering. He pulled her closer so that she was kneeling on top of his bent legs. It was a good thing he was a vampire; otherwise this would be painful but he did not want her to be cold and he began to stroke her back.

Caroline shook her head, "I don't know. I just remember that I found out yesterday and that was when I found out that I was in love with Elijah." She smiled at Elijah.

Klaus gathered her up and began to carry her out of the freezer. "We will fix this," he said into her hair. He carried her into the office and began to try to compel her. It wasn't working. He was becoming angrier by the minute. Caroline curled up in the chair, shrinking away from him.

Klaus stopped pacing and turned to her. "It's not you, love. I just want to fix this." It was then that he thought of a solution. "Elijah, Stefan, could you come here for a moment."

Elijah came in. He had changed his bloody shirt but was still angry about Klaus trying to kill him. "Stefan, I need you to go pick up a witch for me." Klaus turned to his brother. "I came up with a solution for our little problem." He smirked at Elijah's look of apprehension.

"And what would that be," Elijah responded.

Klaus smiled, "It's simple, really. We're going to switch bodies until we can fix the girls here." Elijah simply blinked at his brother. 'This is just too much. Why did I ever think working with my family was a good idea?' he thought.

**Thank you to my lovely reviewers. Kevin H 1997 I am happy that you enjoyed the ghost scene in chapter ten. imdrowninfootwear I agree with you. Ghost Mikael was harsh. My reasoning was that Mikael was a mean SoB in life, so, I figure that he still would be, although I was also heightening Esther, Mikael and Emily's behavior just to poke fun at three rather serious characters. Finally, to my guest reviewer. I am happy that you are enjoying this story. As to the updating more often request. I plan to begin updating every Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Hopefully, I can write most of the sequel before I return to my Master's program at the end of August. What I can tell you is that I am beginning to form ideas for an afterlife that would cause the story to continue after the sequel. **

**Review and let me know what you think is going to happen with the body switching spell. Here's a hint. It's not going to go the way that Klaus had intended. So, things are going to become more** **than a little chaotic. Secrets will be revealed, love will blossom and as always anything can happen. Please, review, favorite, follow and/or vote for the sequel, The Last Resort. **


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Who am I? What are you? Part II

Caroline Forbes was confused. At the moment she was sitting in a chair in the office of 'Amp Burger. She had her chin on her knees and she was trying to not cry anymore. She felt exhausted. Nothing was going right at the moment or made sense to her.

She had found out yesterday that she was a doppelgänger, whatever that meant and Klaus supposedly wanted to drink her blood, so he could become an energy efficient car. She desperately wanted Elijah to stop arguing with Klaus so that they could begin planning their nuptials.

Stefan kept trying to referee the fight. Apparently, Bonnie was coming to help with some kind of spell after Caroline had mentioned that Bonnie was a witch. She was trying to be helpful and honestly she needed her best friend right now. Things were just too confusing. There was a part of her that wanted Klaus to stop arguing with Elijah and to hold her. But he was a vampire and that meant he was evil so she shouldn't feel that way.

Caroline groaned and Klaus walked over to her. He put his arms around her and rubbed her back. "It's okay, Caroline. I will fix this and you won't be afraid of me much longer, okay?" He took her face in his hands and looked into her eyes. She nodded and leaned into him, resisting the urge to jerk away.

Bonnie walked in and rushed over to her. "Caroline, what's wrong?" Bonnie ran over to her friend and wrapped her arms around Caroline. "What did you do to her?" Bonnie glared at the vampires.

Elijah and Stefan blinked at Bonnie thinking of a cover story. Klaus strode over to the young witch, who tilted her chin up at him in defiance. "You know what I am now, yes?" It wasn't a question. It was a statement.

Bonnie narrowed her eyes while Klaus smirked at her. He was standing too close to her but she refused to step back down. "What do you want me to do?" she asked keeping an arm around her friend. She refused to allow them to hurt her anymore.

"It seems that Kol probably compelled your friends, Caroline and Elena to believe things that are not true about them. I need you to switch my sprit or whatever you want to call it into my brother's body." Klaus indicated Elijah, who was leaning against the door. Elijah did not seem to like the idea any more than Bonnie did.

Bonnie began to shake her head. But Klaus interrupted her. "Yes, you will."

"Why can't you just reverse the compulsion?" Bonnie asked.

Klaus scowled, "Don't you think I've already tried that. There must be some kind of magic. I do not want to experiment with Caroline's mind using an inexperienced witch."

"If you're afraid of that then why would you want me to try the other spell?" Bonnie questioned. She was trying to quell the fear she felt questioning an Original.

Klaus growled causing Caroline to jump. "I have had this done before. I can lead you through the process."

Bonnie's shoulders slumped. "Alright." She gave up and decided to help her least favorite Original. "Where's Elena?"

Klaus waved in the direction of the back window. Bonnie went to the office doorway and her jaw dropped. Her hand went up her mouth when she saw Elena locked up. Stefan put his hand on her shoulder. "She's not herself right now."

"If you want me to help you, you will let my friend out of there." Bonnie stared at Klaus pointing at Elena.

Klaus rolled his eyes, "Fine, Stefan release Elena, but keep her away from me."

They were between shifts when Bonnie began the spell. Matt and Mr. Brown were wandering around stocking for the next shift. Tyler came in for the closing shift. The three headed back to the office. When they opened the door Bonnie's concentration was broken. The next thing they all knew they were on the ground.

Each of them felt odd. There was something funny going on, well, funnier. Caroline was the first to sit up from her place three feet from the office. She screamed when she saw her body slumped over in the chair in the office. Only her voice was not her own. Instead of sounding shrill her voice was several octaves lower than usual.

Caroline looked down at her feet and saw a pair of boots, her hands were larger. She was dressed in black and she was wearing a black leather jacket. Who the hell's body was she in. She looked up when she saw her own eyes staring at her. They were as big as saucers. Whoever was in her body was now patting her down.

"Stop touching my body. Now." Caroline commanded. It took a second to register that in her anger she had jumped up and in less than a second she was standing in front of her own body, stilling her hands.

"Caroline," her voice said. Her eyes were wrinkled in confusion and her lips were pursed.

"Stop wrinkling my face." She reached down and began to smooth the wrinkles. That was when she got a load of the ring on her finger. She touched her hair. "Whose body am I in?" She asked herself.

Caroline's eyes moved down the body she was stuck in. "You're Damon Salvatore, love."

"Klaus?" Caroline's head nodded.

"Ohhh…" Caroline sat down on her own knee.

"Ow." Klaus said, causing Caroline to jump up.

"Sorry," Caroline smiled apologetically. 'This was going to take some getting used to,' she thought. In an instant she was in the seat with her own body sitting in her lap. She looked at Klaus. "Is that better?" she asked him.

"Yes, I forgot what it was like to be a human?' Klaus rubbed Caroline's leg looking down at them with her own eyes. They didn't have long to deal with their own drama before the others were waking up. Bonnie and Elena were sitting up and Matt was pushing himself to his feet. Matt helped Mr. Brown and Tyler up. Klaus' body sat up and Elijah was holding his head pushing himself into a corner.

Tyler walked into the office looking rather angry. "Where is my body?" He grabbed Klaus jerking him to his face. "Klaus it was bad enough that I agreed to do this but now I am in the body of a teenage boy. I was not even a teenager when I was turned. This is unacceptable."

From his position on Damon's knee Klaus decided to sit back and watch the disaster unfold. He found himself holding Damon's hand. He had to remind himself that it was Caroline within so he did not run away to get a shower. Caroline' face was wearing a very Klaus like smirk but everyone was panicking so they did not notice.

Caroline was unconsciously intertwining her, well, Damon's fingers with her own. She too wanted to know who was in Klaus' body. Obliviously, Elijah was stuck in Tyler's body. Klaus whispered in her temporary ear, "Who do you think is in my body?"

"I don't know," She replied squeezing her own hand.

The Klaus impersonator now had "Tyler" by the shoulders. "Elijah? I'm Stefan."

Elijah backed off huffing in anger. His shoulders were rising and falling rapidly. He looked like he was about to lose it. Bonnie reached out and put her hand on "Tyler's" back. "Hey, it's okay, dude. Breathe, you have to calm down. That's the only way that you can get through it."

Elijah looked through Tyler's eyes at Bonnie or who he had thought was Bonnie. "Tyler?' he lifted an eyebrow. Bonnie's head nodded to confirm Elijah's suspicion. Elijah looked around him. "Okay," he said. "Before we all panic let's figure out who everyone is. I know that I am in Tyler Lockwood's body. I also know that Tyler is currently in Bonnie's body and that Stefan is trapped in Klaus'. So, could anyone tell me who exactly is in my body?

Elijah's body stood up, slowly. "I'm Bonnie." She turned to the person closest to her, which was Elena.

Elena shrugged and began to play with her hair with a little grin. "Hey, I'm Elena. Oh that is great."

Mr. Brown stepped into the office. "No, that is not great. And get out of my body, whoever you are." Elena placed Mr. Brown's hands on his hips.

Stefan frowned at the position that Miss Gilbert had put his body in.

Elijah sighed in exasperation. "This does not tell me who is who. Now when I call your name raise your hand and say I."

Elena's mouth opened, "What are we five? I don't think so, man. What I say is that we have the little witch change us back." Elena's hand pointed at Bonnie's body, who shook its head. Damon sighed in exasperation and turned to Elijah's body. "You, little witch are going to fix this." He strode across the room.

Elijah's hand reached out and pushed Elena's body away.

Damon would have fallen over if it weren't for Mr. Brown's arms reaching up and grabbing Elena's body. "Watch it," Elena and Brown said at the same time.

Elijah pointed at Elena's body, "Damon." Elena's head moved up and down. Then he pointed at Mr. Brown, "Elena," she also nodded. Elijah looked around, "Mr. Brown," he called. Stefan's hand went up. "Matt." Matt raised his own hand.

"What?" Damon yelled. Everyone turned to Damon's body with Caroline in his lap. "How is that fair?" Damon's voice complained and the others nodded in agreement.

Matt shrugged, "I came back here and then I wanted something to drink. When I came back all of you were on the floor."

Elijah was focused on the couple in the chair. He walked over to them and looked down. Caroline's face was portraying the picture of innocence but there was something that was anything but. As for Damon's face, the eyes were wide and curious with more than a little fear. Elijah nodded. "Klaus," he addressed his brother looking at Caroline's face and then he nodded at Damon's, "Caroline."

Damon clapped Elena's hands together. "Now that we all know who's who can we please get back to our own bodies, I don't like the fact that I have a hot girl in my lap and am not getting anything out of it."

Caroline rolled Damon's eyes. "You are a pig, Damon."

Klaus patted Damon's knee with the girl he loved's hand. "Shhh…love. He's just an idiot. It can't be helped."

Caroline smiled at her own face. Damon snapped at her, "Don't smile about jokes about me with my face. That's just too weird." Mr. Brown's hand came down on Elena's shoulder. Damon looked up into Mr. Brown's face. "By the way do, you still think you're Katherine?"

Mr. Brown's head shook. "No. Actually, no I don't. That's weird, right?"

Klaus turned Caroline's head to face Damon's, "What about you, sweetheart? Are you still afraid of me and in love with Elijah?"

Damon's head shook in the negative. "Nope. I like you." She smiled and snuggled up to Klaus, who was now beaming. This was the first time she had said this aloud.

"Hey, love birds." Damon waved Elena's arm in their direction. "We need to focus on getting back to our bodies. And by the way, Barbie don't even think about getting with it in my body. I will not have that," he pointed at Klaus, "touching me."

Klaus gave Damon a snotty look that looked a lot like one of Caroline's snotty looks.

Klaus decided to join the group and stood up. He linked Caroline's fingers behind her back, cocking her head to the side. "I'm afraid that I must agree with Mr. Salvatore on this one."

Bonnie frowned looking around. "I am not trying that spell again. At least not any time soon. I really messed up last time."

Damon and Klaus stepped forward. "Yes, you will." Klaus said, his voice firm, his stance predatory.

Bonnie just smiled. "No, I won't. By the way this was my day off. And Elijah was supposed to leave about twenty minutes. Good night." Before anyone could say anything Bonnie vamp sped out of the office and the restaurant.

Damon punched a wall and then shrieked in pain. He pulled back Elena's hand. "Oh my God. Elena, I'm sorry. Ow, ow, ow that hurts." He bit Elena's lip and looked at the blood. He looked up when he heard Mr. Brown hiss. He turned to stare at Mr. Brown in Stefan's body. Stefan's eyes had darkened and his fangs were out.

Damon swallowed, jerking Elena's hand back. Klaus' body grabbed Stefan's and sped him into the freezer. Mr. Brown's body let out a sigh of relief. "What was that?" Elena turned back to her own body. "Damon, what was wrong with him and why is Klaus moving that quickly?"

Damon's eyes moved down to Caroline's with a silent question. Klaus avoided looking up because he wasn't sure this was the right time. He heaved a sigh. "Because, Elena, we are vampires." Damon's body dropped to the floor behind him. Klaus turned around and sighed. He was afraid that would happen. Mr. Brown's hand was over his mouth and he was shaking his head in horror. "Damon," he gasped.

Elena's body reached up and touched Mr. Brown's cheek. "It's still me. Elena, I will not let you get hurt."

"Do you think Mr. Brown is a vampire?" Mr. Brown's voice asked.

Elena's shoulders shrugged. "I don't believe so. I mean the blood didn't seem to affect him. So, no."

Elijah hadn't spoken in some time because he was thinking. "I believe what we should do is try to live our lives as normally as possible until this is over. Klaus and I can try to find another witch to work on this or we can see if Tyler can use Bonnie's body to do the spell."

Tyler looked up. "But I don't know anything about magic."

Elijah gave him a wry smile. "I don't know anything about being a werewolf. I suppose we both have a great deal to learn." Tyler nodded.

Stefan and Mr. Brown came back in. Mr. Brown seemed to be more subdued although he also seemed to still be a little bit freaked out. Stefan looked worried. "Damon," he said. "We're going to have to take Mr. Brown home with us until he's able to handle the urges." The look he was giving Damon was saying that that was an unlikely outcome.

"One problem," Damon said. "I am currently residing in the lovely Miss Gilbert's body and she's a human. You will have to take Caroline home. Since she has my strength and intelligence. As for me I will have to go home to Elena's house."

Klaus was now thinking about the fact that he would have to go home to Caroline's house.

Tyler would be going home to see Bonnie's Grams. Tyler said he was going to call Bonnie's Grams and tell her that Bonnie was going to have a sleep over at Elena's for the night. That way he could avoid at least one awkward conversation for one night.

**Thank you to my new followers. I am posting a new story, The World According to Caroline Forbes Mikaelson. It's going to be a two-shot, unless readers love it and then we'll see what I can come up with. Thanks for reading. The next update will be on Saturday. Review, favorite, follow and vote for the sequel, The Last Resort.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Here is the master list for the body switch:**

**Caroline is trapped in Damon's body. **

**Klaus is in Caroline's.**

**Damon is in Elena's. **

**Mr. Brown is in Stefan's.**

**Stefan is in Klaus'.**

**Elijah is in Tyler's.**

**Tyler is in Bonnie's.**

**Bonnie is in Elijah's.**

Chapter 13: Adjustments

Since their shift was over Elena, Stefan and Mr. Brown left the store. Damon was walking beside Elena. He kept staring down the top he was wearing. "Elena, you have a lovely body."

Elena rolled her eyes, kicking at the ground. "Damon, I like you a lot. However, if you don't stop staring at my breasts like they are most important feature of my body, I am going to kick your ass."

Stefan put his borrowed hand on Elena's shoulder, actually, Mr. Brown's shoulder. "Elena, you can't kick Damon's ass. It would defeat the purpose." Elena glared at Stefan. She hated that he had to be reasonable and logical in a situation that was anything but. "For God sakes, Stefan, maybe you're used to freaky stuff happening all the time because you're a blood sucker but some of us are still adjusting. Right, Mr. Brown?" She looked at Mr. Brown for confirmation.

Mr. Brown had been quiet for some time now. This was nothing new because he rarely talked. Currently he was staring at Stefan's hands. "Yes, Miss Gilbert. This is strange. I thought I'd seen some strange things in my life but this goes beyond my frame of experience."

Mr. Brown had been horrified when Stefan had dragged him into the freezer and explained that Stefan was a vampire. In fact, he was a vampire with an uncontrollable desire for blood. This was horrible news. Mr. Brown had murdered a man once before but this was an entirely different situation. It had happened after he had been incarcerated. He had killed a fellow prisoner, who had wanted to make an impression as a tough guy. The man had continually attempted to fight Mr. Brown until he finally had had enough. Mr. Brown had turned around and punched the guy. The other man hit the ground, hard. He never got back up.

This added another ten years to Mr. Brown's sentence. He had done some stupid things when he was younger. He lost his job at the local factory in the small town he lived in in Mississippi with his wife and daughter. That same day he went to a bar and had two beers. When he was driving home a cop pulled him over because one of the taillights had died. Mr. Brown had gotten out of the car and, after some discussion, the officer made him walk in a single line because the officer was convinced that Mr. Brown had had more than two beers. When Mr. Brown stumbled, the cop tried to arrest him. All Mr. Brown had wanted was to go home. It had been a long day. The officer had other ideas and told Mr. Brown that he needed to calm down. Mr. Brown tried to get back into his car. All he wanted to do was go home. He accidently hit the officer with the door to his car.

That was one of the worst days of Mr. Brown's life. He thought the only other day that would compare would be the day that he walked into a bank with a plastic gun and ended up with a five year prison sentence and was served with divorce papers a week later. He never heard from his wife or daughter again.

Now he was in the body of what should have been a teenage boy but turned out to be some kind of monster. Mr. Brown had spent many years now thinking he was a monster but now he had a feeling that there were many things out there that were much worse than he was. He hadn't wanted to cry this badly since he was released and he found out it was next to impossible for him to find his baby girl. She was three when he had last seen her.

Mr. Brown looked at Miss Gilbert's body; she was the age his daughter would be. He wondered whether if they had met would they become friends? That is why he did not talk to these young people or what he thought were young people. He wondered looking at Stefan trapped in Klaus' body and Damon in Elena's how did these young people get mixed up in this? At what point did their lives turn so tragically wrong that they were reduced to becoming murderers and God knew what else.

Mr. Brown looked back down at Stefan's hands contemplating how many people the boy had killed with these hands. This was horrible that a boy so young would have become someone or something that had so little self-control. He wondered about Damon and Klaus. They must have been young, too. It didn't seem to bother the other two boys as much. Mr. Brown questioned that outward show of bravado. It must have felt like freedom for the two of them but Mr. Brown questioned what this kind of freedom meant. What was the price for eternal life, because as Mr. Brown knew, too well, there is always a price for everything?

Stefan seemed to be thinking too. He was thinking about what he would have to do to keep the Ripper from being unleashed. He had been dealing with the Ripper for more than a century but Mr. Brown had been dealing with the Ripper for less than a day. Stefan turned to see Damon teasing Elena by taking off the heels she had worn to work and throwing them aside.

Damon was now running through a grassy area doing a flip, and landing in a splits. Damon smiled proudly at the group. "I think I like being a cheerleader," he said with a very Damon like smirk. Elena shook her head holding a hand out to Damon and pulling her body to its feet. Damon giggled, "I love your laugh." He wrapped an arm around Mr. Brown's shoulder and pulled the much larger body into a dance. Elena chuckled, rolling Brown's eyes.

Damon reached out with Elena's other hand and grabbed Klaus' hand and then waved to Mr. Brown to take Klaus' hand. Damon led them into a dance that seemed to be a combination of a line dance and the Can-can. They were all laughing after a few minutes. Oddly, it was Klaus' body that seemed to be the most adept at moving through the complicated moves.

Damon was enjoying himself quite a bit and ended up grabbing the hand of the body that his brother was inhabiting and began to dance with him. Damon kept picking up the pace. "Come on, Brother. Let's see how much energy that crazy hybrid actually has," Damon shouted.

Stefan was smiling as he and Damon danced as fast as they could. Stefan had no idea how Damon was keeping up with him in Elena's body. Damon suddenly turned around and dropped to the ground. "Dude, my head is spinning."

Elena shook Mr. Brown's head. "Really, Damon could you please stop trying to kill my body?"

Damon sat up with an apologetic look and held out a hand. When Elena reached up to help Damon to her feet. Damon pulled Elena down next to him. They were both laughing and Damon leaned over to kiss his girlfriend when he heard Mr. Brown cough, loudly. The couple looked up. "Um, can you please wait until you're back in your own bodies for that?" Brown was staring at the grass.

Elena pushed herself to his feet. "I'm sorry, Mr. Brown. I wasn't thinking. We won't do anything in our borrowed bodies."

Damon groaned. 'Why couldn't he and Elena have ended up in each other's bodies? This was beyond lame. On top of everything else this meant they would not be having sex anytime soon,' Damon thought, frowning. It wasn't that he was in a hurry, they had plenty of time. For once in his life he wanted to take things slowly and get it right. Elena was special and he wanted to spend as much time with her for as long as she was willing to be with him. However, for Damon this included sex and it looked like that was not going to be happening for some time.

Everyone in their group ended up piling into Damon's car and drove toward the Salvatore mansion. On their way there Elena had them pull over when she saw Tyler walking aimlessly down a sidewalk. "Tyler," she called, waving at him. Tyler turned and walked over to the car. "We're going to the Salvatore's, do you want to come?"

Tyler shrugged and slid into the back with Stefan and Mr. Brown. Tyler did not want to admit that he did not have anywhere else to go. He could go home but then his mother would wonder why Bonnie Bennett was making herself at home in the Lockwood mansion. He couldn't go to Bonnie's because Bonnie's Grams, Shelia, would be suspicious and he thought it would be weird if he went to Matt's and stayed the night. He wondered how things were going for the others at the store.

As for Caroline, Klaus and Elijah, they had their own problems. Although Caroline and Klaus had promised that they would not use Damon's body, unlike Elena, they weren't able to keep their promise. Every time there was a break from the chaos behind the counter, they ran into the office and began to make out. They couldn't seem to keep their hands off each other as soon and they got over the initial weirdness. They had decided that they would wait to have sex until after they were back in their own bodies. Until then, they were going to make the best of things and that included a lot of kissing.

Elijah had walked in on them at least once and was becoming frustrated. He did not know why he was angry. He did not have feelings for Caroline but for some reason the later it got the angrier he became. For some reason he wanted to break something. It was getting worse and frankly Damon Salvatore's body stunk. He could barely look at anyone without wanting to lash out.

Caroline and Klaus were oblivious to this situation. They wanted each other. They wanted to pretend that they were in their own bodies. Unfortunately, whenever they opened their eyes they were reminded of their current predicament. It wasn't until they heard shouting in the lobby and then Caroline heard a scream that the two became of aware of anything other than themselves. Then Caroline found herself in the lobby looking down at blood pooling on the lobby floor.

Caroline looked at Elijah. Tyler's shoulders were shaking and within the body of the young werewolf, Elijah was terrified. He hadn't felt this way since he had become a vampire. He had been so angry with the customer he had just murdered. The man had been telling Elijah that he wanted a chocolate shake and then he wanted a vanilla shake. Then Elijah had not given the man the proper change. Then the man had told Elijah that he was a stupid teenager and that a football could do the job better.

Elijah had lost it and jumped the counter. He had punched the man one time. The man's head had hit the railing and then he was dead. This was the worst thing that could have happened. Elijah looked out the window. The moon would be full tomorrow. If they did not change back then Elijah would have to transition into a werewolf. He had never understood why his brother, Niklaus, wanted to become a werewolf. Was it not bad enough being a vampire but to be a werewolf? Now Elijah would have to become a werewolf. The only benefit, if it could be seen as such, would be that he would have a better understanding of what his brother was.

Elijah felt a pair of slim arms wrap around his waist and he looked down to see a blonde head right under his chin. Caroline's arms were around his waist. "You will be fine, Elijah." Caroline's head moved back to look into Elijah's eyes. "I'll be there for you, brother. I will not let you go through this alone. This is not something that you should have to go through." The frown on Caroline's face was very Klaus like but the concern was Caroline's influence.

Elijah looked down at his brother. "Thank you, Niklaus." He could feel that Tyler's eyes had filled with tears. This was a horrible thing and he felt pity for the boy who would return to this body. Right now, Tyler was somewhere else and had no idea that he was going to come back to a body which had transitioned. Every time that the boy became a wolf it wouldn't be because he had accidently killed someone; it would be because Elijah had killed someone.

"What's going on?" Caroline asked, folding her arms over her chest. She kept staring at the dead man on the floor. This was not the first time she had seen a dead person because her mother was the town sheriff. You see things when you're related to law enforcement. However, the things she usually saw were pictures, not bodies lying fifteen feet from her.

Klaus turned to her frowning. He had no idea how familiar with corpses Caroline was but he did not like that she was exposed to this kind of situation.

Klaus let go of his brother and then turned to his girlfriend and put his arms around her waist, or rather Damon's. He thought that maybe they needed to change soon because he suddenly was beginning to feel nurturing. That was not a feeling that Klaus had felt since Henrik died. He had to remind himself that his brother and Caroline needed him to play this role. They were terrified and there was not much he could do in the body he was in other than hug people.

After a couple of minutes Klaus pulled away from Caroline and walked over to the doors. He locked both of the doors to the lobby, finding it regrettable that he couldn't compel anyone who might see the body through the window. Elijah and Klaus carried the dead man into the back and placed him on the floor on top of some garbage bags. Caroline walked back and stared at Klaus when he came around the corner with a couple of knives.

"What are you doing with those," she asked. Damon's eyes were wide and full of incomprehension. Klaus could tell she was going into shock. He handed the two knives over to Elijah and walked Caroline into the office. He turned and closed the door. He knew his brother would take care of disposing with the body while Klaus talked to Caroline.

"Caroline," Klaus began in his most reassuring tone. "We need to get rid of the body, love. You don't want your friend, Tyler, to go to jail, do you?"

Caroline was sitting down in the office chair. She was twisting her hands in her lap and her eyes had filled with tears. She looked at Klaus, "What's a hybrid?"

Klaus cocked his head to the side, smiling at Caroline, his face tightening. "What do you mean? What is a hybrid?"

Caroline drew in a shaky breathe. "I mean when your brother compelled me he told me that you wanted to become a hybrid. Then tonight you and Elijah were talking about how Elijah is going to turn into a werewolf because he's stuck in Tyler's body. You were acting like you knew what it was like to be a werewolf. So, does that mean that you are like both a vampire and a werewolf or something?"

Klaus sighed, "Yes, Caroline that is what it means."

Caroline nodded, tears sliding down her cheeks. "Okay, so let's get everything straight. You're a hybrid and you have some kind of curse preventing you from becoming a werewolf. I remember Kol told me that. There was also something about a doppelgänger. What a doppelgänger is I have no idea but I figure you can tell me. I know you told me that I'm not the doppelgänger. But, you know, you didn't exactly tell me any of the other stuff."

Caroline was trying not to sob because with her new hearing she could everything that Elijah was doing in the other room. "And I'm not stupid. I'm beginning to think you think that I am but I am not. Shallow and mean, yes, stupid, no. Okay, so I'm going to guess who the doppelgänger is and you can tell me if I'm right?" She smiled wiping away tears but she was not at all happy. "Okay, let's see. Tyler's a werewolf. So, that would be a no." Klaus nodded wordlessly as she continued. "And Bonnie's a witch. So, again, no. Then we have Damon and Stefan which I'm going to think no because there is a reason that you're here in Mystic Falls and it's not for the scenery. You don't seem interested in Matt, that would be Rebekah, or maybe that's why. You have Rebekah keeping tabs on him."

Klaus shook his head. "No, love, it's not Matt."

"Okay," Caroline thought about her list and then she started to cry again. "It's Elena. Isn't it? You want to kill Elena because of your stupid sacrifice." Caroline got up running her hands through Damon's hair, her eyes wild with panic. "You can't. Okay?" She tuned and grabbed Klaus shaking him. She watched as her own body wobbled in the grip of a vampire's hands. "You cannot kill one of my best friends. Do you hear me?" Before Caroline knew what she was doing her gaze was focused on Klaus'. "You will not kill Elena Gilbert. Do you understand?" She asked Klaus.

Klaus' gaze glazed over, "I understand. I will not kill Elena Gilbert."

Caroline perked up instantly. "Great. I knew that you would see reason." She leaned down and kissed Klaus, who had no idea what he had done to deserve this show of affection but went with it anyway. Caroline was so happy at the moment she could not imagine that anything would come between her and Klaus again.

**A special thanks goes out to imdrowninfootwear for reviewing chapters 11 and twelve. I hope that you are still enjoying this story because I haven't had much of a response for the last three chapters. If there is a particular concern about the story, feel free to PM me. Favorites, follows and reviews are greatly appreciated. The next chapter is pure Kennett and will be posted on Monday. If you haven't seen it already, I published a story titled The World According to Caroline Forbes Mikaelson. On Monday I will also be posting a new Kennett story titled, Take Me Out to the Ball Game. It is a humanverse with Kennett, Klaroline, Delena and Merfan as the main pairings. On Thursday I will post a silly idea called Birds of a Feather which will also be a Kennett story. See you all on Monday.**

**LL **


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello dear reader. Are you ready for a Kennett centric chapter? And are you ready for the big twist. I hope you like it. One quick note; they are still switched. So:**

**Bonnie is still in Elijah's body.**

**Elijah is still in Tyler's.**

**Caroline is still in Damon's.**

**And Klaus is still in Caroline's.**

Chapter 14: Where are you, Kol?

Kol Mikaelson had gone on deliveries throughout the greater United States. He had arrived in California three days ago and was enjoying the scene. He went surfing for most of the day and partied for most of the night. It made Kol giddy being around all of these young people in their swimsuits. He would bring groups back to his penthouse. After they got there Kol would drink, get laid and pass out.

The locals were so accommodating. Kol did not think he ever wanted to leave. Once in awhile he would check the feed coming from the video cameras that he had placed around the store and Klaus' mansion. It was funny that his brother was so preoccupied with the doppelgänger and Caroline Forbes, that he did not notice the cameras capturing his every move.

At the moment things seemed pretty boring to Kol. At least they had been until Bonnie had screwed up the body switching spell. Now, that part was somewhat amusing. However, he began to yawn every time he had to watch his brother make out with Damon Salvatore's body. He had preferred watching Caroline trying to get into Elijah's pants. Of all the people that Kol knew Elijah needed to loosen up a bit. 'Oh, well then,' Kol thought with a smirk, 'with all that heat coming from Tyler Lockwood's wolfiness it shouldn't take too long before 'Lijah had to give into his desires.'

When there was a loud knock on the door Kol didn't think too much about it. He simply thought it was room service. They were wonderful at this hotel. He never ran out of food and room service was excellent. He swung the door open with a wide grin. The grin vanished when Kol saw the other person standing in front of him.

"Bonnie Bennett, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Kol attempted a friendly smile until Elijah's hand wrapped around his throat. Bonnie slammed the door shut and Kol found himself on the other side of the room. He rubbed the back of his head from where it connected, hard, with the wall on the other side of the room.

"Ow," Kol pulled his hand back and saw a bit of blood. He jumped to his feet ready to fight back. "Bonnie, you do not want to fight me."

Bonnie was seething. She had ditched Elijah's suit a hundred miles back. She had dressed his body in a pair of jeans and a button down pale blue shirt. She had contacted one of Elijah's witches for help in tracking down Kol. He started this whole stupid thing and he was coming back and helping her fix things. Bonnie would not admit to herself that she wanted to know why Kol had just taken off without a word.

Bonnie and Kol were now about to fight each other. However, Bonnie was unsure of how to proceed. Despite the fact that she was currently in the body of an Original vampire she was not a fighter. Kol took advantage of this opportunity and lunged at Bonnie. Bonnie fell to the floor pinned beneath Kol, who simply smiled.

"Hello, my little witchy. I really wish you weren't stuck in the body of my big brother because there are so many delightful things I would like to do to you. Maybe I can call room service and find a better body to suit our purposes. What do you say, my little witchy?" Kol stroked his brother's cheek but he was seeing a younger, smaller female beneath him.

Bonnie's face twisted in disgust. "Oh dear God. No, Kol. You are a sick little man." Bonnie pushed Kol off of her and sat up.

This seriously sucked. Bonnie had no idea how she was going to get Kol to go back home. Not when all that he seemed to want to do was to try to mate with her. "Seriously, Kol this is not funny. People could get hurt horribly because of what has happened and we need to get back to Mystic Falls as soon as possible."

Kol got up, sighing. "Why would I want to do that? I am having the time of my life. And that is saying something given how many years I have been alive. Do you know how bored you can get when you have seen and done as many things as I have?" Kol threw his arms open to give Bonnie some idea of how expansive his experience of the world was.

"Kol, why don't you try doing something for someone other than yourself for once. Now, that might be a new experience." Bonnie was now leaning against a wall. She had crossed Elijah's arms and was now smirking.

Kol rolled his eyes and flopped down on the bed. He turned on his laptop. "Because Bonnie, I am not a goody-goody like you and your little friends. I do not believe in going out and trying to save people from the stupid things that they choose to do. I feel that my role in the world is to show people a good time." He now sat up and pinned her with a serious look. "Because if you were honest with yourself, Miss Bennett, you would admit that your world is boring. Sometimes it is tragic. Sometimes it is full of pain and agony but more than anything it is dull. You need me to remind you that you are alive."

Bonnie thought about it. "Why do you think that I wasn't living before I met you and your family? I went to school. I had friends. I laughed. I was happy. And now you came along and everything is a mess. How do you consider that living?"

Kol was watching the scenes from the night before. Without looking up from the computer screen Kol addressed Bonnie's question. "You need me to show you what you are. What you're capable of becoming. You have no idea what the world is like. You are just a little girl compared to the life I lived. If you will allow me to I can help you."

Kol waved Bonnie over to look at the computer screen Bonnie's jaw dropped and tears filled her eyes when she saw Caroline, Damon and Tyler's bodies fill the screen. They were standing in the lobby of 'Amp Burger. There was a man's lifeless body lying on the floor.

"What happened?" Bonnie asked her voice hoarse. She could not stop staring at the screen.

Kol reached out and scooped up Nik, Jr. "Well, it's simple, really. This jackass made my brother, Elijah, very angry and Elijah reacted in the way that he usually does when he's annoyed. He killed the man. Unfortunately, that means that my dear brother has triggered Tyler Lockwood's werewolf side. That would mean dear 'Lijah would have been howling at the moon for the last two nights."

"What?" Bonnie asked panicking. When did this happen?" Bonnie was horrified. They needed to get back tonight. 'Oh God, what did she leave her friends exposed to?' Bonnie felt tears running down her cheeks. "We need to go, now, Kol. We have to get back."

Kol sat back up, pulling Nik, Jr. onto his chest. "If that is what you wish to do I cannot stop you, my little witchy."

"Kol, please," Bonnie was sobbing quietly. Kol looked at her, debating. He really did not want to go back to deal with Nik's wrath. That would be bad. And he really did not want to end up back in a coffin for another century. However, there was something about the way that the Bennett witch was pleading that was beginning to nag at him.

Finally Kol sat up, readjusting Nik, Jr. "I will go back with you if you do two things for me."

Bonnie nodded eagerly. "Okay."

Kol smiled at her. "First, I want you to tell everyone that I helped you. I do not want Nik getting it into his head to put me in a box again."

"Alright. What's the second thing?"

Kol's smile widened, "I want you to begin dating me." He sat forward stroked the puppy in his lap.

Bonnie raised Elijah's chin in that defiant way of hers. "I think I would rather date the dog. At least it's cute."

Kol turned his attention back to his computer. "No date, no deal."

Bonnie began to pace the floor. 'This was not right. He had no right to try to manipulate her into dating him like this. This was all so wrong. But her friends were in danger and they were wasting time,' she thought. Bonnie turned to Kol, "Fine, I will date you but you better get your butt off that bed, right now. We need to be in Mystic Falls like two days ago."

Kol was satisfied and got up, holding Nik, Jr. under his arm. He was packed and ready to go in less the five minutes.

Bonnie rolled her eyes and tapped Elijah's foot impatiently as Kol booked two first class tickets to Richmond. He called downstairs to request a bellboy to collect his bags. He also made arrangements for a rental car to be ready for them in Richmond so that they could drive to Mystic Falls. He grabbed his surf board and tucked it under his other arm.

Bonnie looked at the surf board and raised an eyebrow. "Nostalgic purposes," was all Kol offered on the subject. Bonnie rolled her eyes at the image of a vampire surfing. They exited the hotel in a hurry. The line in the airport was not terrible but Kol insisted on compelling someone into believing that he had a life threatening condition and needed to board the flight early.

Kol and Bonnie were soon airborne and Kol complained about the awful chick flick that they were showing. Bonnie had to prevent him from killing anyone. At one point Kol had excused himself to get a drink from one of the stewardess' and Bonnie hadn't thought too much about it.

When it dawned on Bonnie what he had meant she was unbuckling her seat belt and halfway down the aisle before she knew where she was going. Kol had a young woman in a flight attendant's uniform in his arms. When Bonnie appeared Kol extracted his fangs with a slow smile. "There you are. Like I said, I was going for a drink." He held the young woman out to Bonnie. "You need to feed, too. You don't want to let my poor brother's body to get run down, do you?" Kol smiled and his teeth were red.

Bonnie tried to ignore the desire to rip into the woman's jugular. "You came back to find a pillow for one of the pilots. You will not remember Kol feeding from you." It scared Bonnie how easy it was to compel the woman, who grabbed a pillow and left.

Kol puckered his lower lip out. "You really are a kill joy aren't you? A bit like 'Lijah," he mused and shrugged. "But, my little witchy, you will need to feed soon."

Bonnie nodded, "When we get off the plane I'll go to a hospital and pick up a blood bag." 'Or five,' she thought silently. She was starving but she would never admit it to Kol. They returned to their seats and Bonnie was relieved when they arrived at the airport. They disembarked and made their way through the airport.

Soon they were in the parking lot and climbing into the vehicle that Kol had chosen, a bright red Ferrari. Bonnie had decided to drive. They might both be indestructible but if they crashed it would only slow them down. Kol was pouting, again, because he wanted to drive the car. He had Nik, Jr. in his lap and had opened his laptop to check up on anything else he might have missed.

Kol was humming to himself and Bonnie wanted to tell him to shut up but she decided not to. They had argued enough for one day. Bonnie was tired. She really wanted to sleep. She had been awake for the past five days, and even as an Original, apparently, you could still become tired. After arguing with Kol about trading seats without stopping the car, Bonnie won and pulled over.

She got out and walked around while Kol climbed into the driver's side. He was grinning in such a way that Bonnie was worried that he planned to drive them off a bridge or something. However, she was too tired to care anymore. She pulled Nik, Jr. into her lap and fell asleep.

Bonnie woke up three hours later and realized that they were at an all-night diner. She wondered about what the other patrons must have thought when they saw Kol carrying Bonnie in Elijah's body over his shoulder, a puppy under one arm, along with a laptop and a surf board under the other. Bonnie took in her surroundings and saw that it was dark and that the full moon was out. This was the last night of the full moon. She wondered how Elijah was coping. Kol had been quiet when she woke up. "Are you hungry?" he asked his eyes glued to the computer screen.

Bonnie ran a hand through her short hair. "Hmm… Yeah, I could eat a whole stack of pancakes. And some bacon and eggs would be good." She smiled and then ran a hand over Elijah's face. She needed to shave. She could not wait to get back into her own body. She hoped that Tyler hadn't done anything weird in hers.

Kol placed the order and then looked at Bonnie pensively. Bonnie did not like that look one bit. "What happened?" She was alert and sitting straight up, looking a lot more like Elijah, a lot more than she had in the last couple of days.

Kol got up and slid into the other side of the booth with Bonnie. He turned the computer screen to show Bonnie what he had seen. Nik, Jr. was curled up and asleep on top of the table. Kol had probably fed him too much bacon but the dog seemed to like it.

Bonnie watched in horror as Elijah was forced to turn in Tyler's body and bite Caroline. "When did this happen?" Bonnie asked her voice rising in pitch.

Kol looked at the date and time. "About threes day ago. The first night of the full moon."

Bonnie stared at Kol. "What does that mean? Is Caroline dead?"

Bonnie was about to cry again and she was really tired of crying.

"No," Kol began to tap his fingers on the table top.

Bonnie stared at him, biting her lip. "So, what does that mean? If she's not dead, then what?" Bonnie's eyes widened. "No it's a myth, right?" she began to shake Kol. "Tell me it's a myth, Kol."

Kol shook his head. "No, it's not a myth. I'm sorry, Bonnie. Caroline is going to become a werewolf."

Bonnie was on the edge of losing it. At that moment the waitress brought her food. Kol had her bag it up and they left quickly. They got into the car and Kol had his foot on the accelerator pushing it all the way the floor, as Bonnie hugged Nik, Jr. to her chest. Caroline needed her and she needed her now.

**First, I want to thank KevinH 1997 and imdrowninfootwear for their reviews of chapter 13. To answer a quick question. No, Mr. Brown is not Elena's biological father. That honor still goes to John Gilbert, who will be making a guest appearance in chapters 25 & 26. Isobel Fleming is still Elena's biological mother in this story and will also make an appearance in chapters 25 & 26. I can't tell you much more because then I will spoil the chapter. Mr. Brown's daughter makes a brief appearance at the end of chapter 27. **

**So, here we are. Tell me what you think of the new development. I hope you don't hate it. It just needed to be done. And don't worry there are still plenty of Klaroline happy moments but there will also be a tragic one as well. Klaroline is end game. It just may take them until the end of The Last Resort to get to a comfortable place. Its epic I tell you. ****Anyway, there will be a lot more Kennett moments from here on out. This is all leading up to one of the biggest events of the story, The Sacrifice. It's so big that it's 15,000 words and is another three-parter. That would be one of our big tragic moments. There are a few more but I try to add jokes to lighten the mood. For those of you are looking for Delena, there are a lot of Delena specific moments in The Sacrifice chapter 25-27.**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Long Day's Journey into Night

Rebekah had been sitting on the couch in the Mikaelson home painting her nails. She was thinking of new ways to convince Matt that they should date. Perhaps she could build a relationship with him after Matt left 'Amp Burger they could date. She didn't particularly like that idea but she figured it was better than nothing.

Rebekah was blowing on the pale pink polish on her nails when someone rang the doorbell. That was strange because it was 1:30 am. It could be Kol and he lost his key. That would be funny. She decided to sit back and let him suffer. After the tenth time of the bell pealing she had had enough. She went to the door and jerked it open. Rebekah was ready to tell Kol what a useless little bastard he was when Caroline Forbes pushed her way past Rebekah into the mansion.

Rebekah's jaw dropped as Caroline tore her shoes off and threw them across the room. Tyler Lockwood and Damon Salvatore followed her in. Tyler was rubbing his temples and Damon kept twiddling his thumbs looking around the living room. Damon finally sat down on a couch. He crossed his legs and folded his hands in his lap. His posture was very straight while his gaze was steadily on the floor.

Caroline was scowling as she grabbed a bottle of whiskey and filled three glasses. She handed one to Damon and then one to Tyler. She picked one up and took a long sip before coughing. "This is bloody ridiculous." She strode to the staircase and was halfway up when Rebekah snapped out of her confusion and sped in front of Caroline.

"What do you think you're doing?" Rebekah demanded glaring at the girl. Caroline just scoffed and then proceeded to push past Rebekah. Rebekah turned around and grabbed Caroline by the arm. "I said what do you think you're doing? You are in my house. You cannot just walk around in here like you own the place. And you cannot just serve yourself. This is not some poorly managed bar." Rebekah yanked the glass away from Caroline.

Caroline turned around to meet Rebekah's gaze. Rebekah had never seen the look on Caroline's face before. Although she thought she had seen Caroline at her worst the look on the other girl's face right now would have made Rebekah's heart stop if it were still pumping.

Caroline stepped down so that she was nose to nose with Rebekah. She sneered at Rebekah and her eyes were cold. She reached out and touched Rebekah's hair, stroking it gently. Caroline leaned down and whispered in Rebekah's ear. "Bekah, I love you dearly sister, but if you do not give me back my drink and let me go to my room and change I will see you with a dagger through your heart within the hour." Caroline leaned back with a wide smile, which grew when Rebekah handed her the glass back.

Rebekah closed her eyes when she felt Caroline's hand touch her cheek and her lips gently place a kiss on her forehead. "Good girl, I will be down shortly. We will talk then."

Rebekah watched frozen on the stairs as Nik in Caroline's body walked up the stairs and into his bedroom. This was too much. Rebekah walked back into the living room. When she walked in Tyler and Damon looked up at her. "Do you two know that Nik is in Caroline's body?" Rebekah's voice was shaking.

Damon nodded, "Yeah," he said. I mean it is seriously weird to watch your own body walk around like that." Rebekah's eyes widened and then Caroline realized that Klaus hadn't told Rebekah, yet. "Oops," her eyes widened and she looked down at the floor again.

"Caroline, she was bound to figure it out," Tyler's voice came from behind Rebekah and she turned around to see him slowly pacing, drink in hand.

"Elijah?" Rebekah looked at the Lockwood boy, her brow furrowing. Her lips were pursed as she looked at Tyler's body.

Elijah came over and sat down on the couch opposite the one that Damon, no, Caroline was sitting on. He pulled Rebekah down beside him. "Kol compelled Caroline and Elena to believe certain things about themselves. Nik, being impulsive as usual wanted to use a spell to switch the two of us and then everyone who was left in the store became someone else."

Klaus was now making his way down the stairs. He had taken a shower and Caroline's hair was wet and hanging down the back of one Klaus' many Henleys. The shirt was hanging off Caroline's smaller frame and Klaus had placed a belt around Caroline's waist. He had a pair of his boxer briefs on because that was the only way the underwear would stay up. Regular boxers apparently were too big. He had forgone wearing pants because they did not seem to fit.

Caroline's eyes bugged out, "Klaus you took a shower," she complained.

"Yes, I did," he stated coming to sit down beside Caroline. "I'm sorry, Caroline. I know that you no doubt feel that that was a violation of some kind. However, your lovely teenage hormones were beginning to excrete oils and…scents…that I would not expect that you would usually be comfortable with. My solution was a quick shower and clean clothes. Now, are you going to forgive me, sweetheart?"

Caroline rolled Damon's eyes, "Alright you made your point. But the next time you dress me can you please not put on a white shirt without a bra or at the very least wear a tank top?"

After Rebekah had gotten over the initial shock of seeing her brothers in the bodies they were currently inhabiting she decided that they should all get some sleep. Klaus agreed and watched as everyone else left. He turned to Caroline and smiled right before he leapt on her. "Klaus, I do believe that you attracted to Damon," Caroline said holding back a laugh when Klaus jumped to her feet.

"I am not," he shouted, Caroline's cheeks were bright red. "It's your body after all. It must be your feelings." He held up a shaking finger. "Besides, I'm seeing you when we are kissing, love."

Caroline leaned over the arm of the couch trying to grab Klaus. "Oh, it's okay. I won't look at you differently. It just means that you like to kiss Damon's lips." Klaus stumbled back.

"No, no I do not. I hate Damon. He is rude and will not obey me."

Damon's lips curved up into a smirk. Caroline was having a great time. "Come here, Klaus, give me a big kiss." She puckered Damon lips and began making kissy faces at him.

Klaus finally stopped, "You're right." Caroline's eyes were glinting with an evil glimmer. "You're right. I do like Damon's lips. Actually, I have no hang ups at all. Let's have sex. Right now." Klaus took the belt off and pulled the shirt he was wearing over her head.

Caroline just stared at him. 'Was he serious?' she asked herself. Klaus began to walk toward her as she began to walk backwards. She fell back on the couch and Klaus was climbing on top of her.

"Come on, Caroline," Klaus was smirking.

Caroline took Klaus and set him down beside her and got up. "I'm going to bed." When Klaus got up to follow, she turned back to him, "Not with you." Klaus' laughter could be heard as Caroline made her way back to a guest bedroom and locked the door. She then took a dresser and shoved it in front of the door in case he had a key. She went to bed hoping that Klaus did not decide to do anything too weird with her body.

Klaus got up off the couch. He gathered up the shirt and belt. He decided against pulling the clothes back on. He didn't think it was necessary, besides he liked the view. Just because he promised not to touch her that didn't mean he couldn't look. He was distracted when he ran into a hard chest.

Elijah, in Tyler's body, was shocked when Klaus ran into him. It was dark but apparently Tyler's night vision was enhanced when he triggered the werewolf. He wished this was not true now; he had a very clear vision of Miss Forbes' body. Not only that, he became very aware of Miss Forbes nearly naked body pressed against the one pressed against his he was stuck in. Elijah was horrified by the way that this body was reacting.

'Niklaus, Niklaus, Niklaus,' Elijah chanted silently. 'This was not Caroline. This was not Caroline with the hands that…and the mouth…oh no,' these thoughts were going in the wrong places.

Klaus looked at his brother whose hands were on Caroline's shoulders. The look on Elijah's face was one Klaus was familiar with. It was one that he had seen on his own face and other men's faces a million times. 'Oh, no. That is impossible. Elijah could not be having that reaction, not to me. Oh, please, no. Anything but that." Klaus began to back away from Elijah, slowly. He took the shirt and held it up in front of Caroline's chest.

Elijah's face twisted, he was trying to control it. "Run, Niklaus, run. I won't be able to hold back much longer."

Klaus did not have to be told twice as he turned around and ran for his life. When Elijah began to chase him Klaus picked up the pace. He was quite well aware of the fact that Elijah could smell him. He began to run as fast as Caroline's human legs could move. He was cursing the fact that he was stuck in Caroline's body when he got to the end of the staircase. He was about to run into the living room when Elijah tackled him.

"I'm sorry, Niklaus." Elijah had tried his best but this body did not seem to understand as he jerked the shirt off and threw it aside. He then leaned down to kiss his own brother knowing that he would try to stake himself the minute he was back in his body. He could only hope that Niklaus would forgive him.

Klaus was panicking as he thought that Elijah was going to bite him but instead it was worse. It was much worse. In all his years he had never had such a nightmare let alone imagined that he would be in this kind of situation. While his brother's borrowed lips made their way toward the one's he was wearing. He thought very hard about all of the things that he knew about women and then it dawned on him what to do. He looked deeply into his borrowed eyes and smiled. Then he kicked Elijah as hard as he could between the legs. As Elijah fell off of Klaus curling up in ball of pain, Klaus jumped to his feet. He ran as if his life depended upon it and screamed like the girl he currently was.

Klaus ran through the hall that the bedrooms were located on and nearly skidded into a wall when he turned too quickly to run into his own. As he locked the door he began to reflect upon how he had treated women over the years.

It was not as if this scenario had not presented itself in this house on numerous occasion. It was just that either Klaus or Kol were doing the chasing of the naked girl. He used to compel Katerina to strip down and he would chase her back when she was human. Suddenly, he began to feel a wave of guilt and disgust at his own behavior. 'I am a bad man,' Klaus thought. He jumped when he heard someone banging on the door.

"Niklaus, I'm sorry it was a momentary state. I will behave. You know that I would not hurt you. Open the door, Niklaus." Klaus watched as the knob rattled. He looked around for a weapon and grabbed a paint brush. If he had to he would stake his brother and then he remembered that Elijah was in a human body. "Damn it," he said, dropping the paint brush to the floor.

The door opened, wooden splinters flying, and Elijah walked in. He approached Klaus cautiously. When Klaus did not run. Elijah held out his arms. "I'm sorry, Niklaus please, forgive me."

Klaus stepped forward, gingerly, allowing his brother to hug him. Elijah was fine until he noticed how soft Caroline's skin was. He picked up Klaus, who began to thrash and then had him pinned on the bed. "Just one little kiss." Klaus screamed again just before Tyler's lips were pressed to Caroline's.

"Oh, gross," Rebekah was standing in the doorway, shaking her head in disgust. If this were Tyler and Caroline she would have just shrugged and left them to it. But these were her brothers and she wanted to vomit.

Elijah looked mortified. Caroline appeared in the room. "Hey," she complained. "Just because I said I don't have sex with you does not mean that you can just wander off and do whoever you run into in the hallway. Besides, that's your brother you weirdo. Is there anyone in your family who does not need therapy?" Caroline directed this question at Rebekah.

Rebekah's eyebrow rose as she contemplated the question. "I think after this that we will all need therapy." The two blondes nodded at each other until the noticed that Elijah was trying to mate with Klaus again. "Oh, no, we will have none of that." Rebekah grabbed Elijah by the neck with one hand and decked him with the other.

Klaus sat up covering Caroline's exposed chest. He was whimpering and Caroline sat down beside. "Is it always so difficult being a girl?" Klaus looked into Caroline's eyes.

She nodded, "Yeah," she responded. "Sometimes it's worse." She put an arm around him and rubbed her shoulder. After sometime Caroline got up and found another shirt. She slipped it over her own head and Klaus curled up under the sheets while Caroline curled up on top holding the smaller body her boyfriend was stuck in. While she was going to sleep she thought, wryly, "Well, maybe he'll have a new respect for women's boundaries."

**Thank you imdrowninfootwear, xoMarie, MagicWeMade and Fallen Witch Angel for your reviews. The next update will appear on Wednesday. All updates will appear on Wednesdays unless I can not update. Thank you for reading.**

**LL**


	16. Chapter 16

**Welcome back to the next chapter of WtAB.**

Chapter 16: Transitions

This was the second day that everyone except Rebekah and Matt were trapped in someone else's body. Caroline glowered at the two, who were talking to each other and looking over at Caroline every once in a while. Caroline had come in at 11 am with Klaus and Elijah. Unlike a usual shift they were leaving at 5 pm before night fall to get Elijah into a safe place before he turned. Thankfully, they did not have to restrain Elijah from trying to jump his younger brother's bones or rather her bones today. Who would have known that Elijah was attracted to her? Or maybe it was Tyler who was attracted to her, either way no one had gotten much sleep. Elijah looked guilty and had been avoiding Klaus. Klaus had become Caroline's shadow and jumped whenever anyone opened a door or made any sudden movements. Caroline wanted to reassure him. However, ever since she found out what Klaus was she couldn't help but feel that this was karma.

Caroline found herself rubbing Klaus' back as he looked at everyone like they were going to become sex crazed and attempt to jump him. He refused to sit in Caroline's lap anymore. When she went to kiss him that morning he had pulled away. Klaus had mentioned that he needed a shower and grabbed some clothes. He went into the bathroom and locked the door. Caroline had time to eat and look through Klaus' sketch book which had a lot of sketches of her in it.

Two hours later Klaus came out of the bathroom. There was not even a trace of makeup on Caroline's face and he had buttoned up a long sleeved, baggy work shirt all the way up. He had pulled Caroline's hair into a tight bun and the pants he wore were his own. They hung off Caroline's legs and he had rolled up the pants' legs so he would not trip himself. "Would you like me to do your makeup and hair?" Caroline asked cheerfully. Klaus shook his head.

Instead, he asked if there was any type of bra that would flatten her breasts. Caroline thought about it, "Well, you could try a sports bra." She watched as Klaus walked into his sister's bedroom and began to look through his sister's drawers looking for where she put her underwear. She put her hand on Klaus' arm. "Hey," she turned Klaus around to face her. "Breathe," she ordered. She watched as Klaus began to breathe slowly in and out. "You don't have to cover everything up. I'm sure Elijah feels really badly this morning. We're in a really weird state. But we'll get through it."

Caroline had thought after their conversation that everything would be okay now. That had turned out not to be true. She decided that things needed to lighten up. "Hey, Rebekah," she called. "So, how long has your brother been stalking me?" Caroline looked pointedly at Klaus, who now had a panicked look for a whole new reason.

Rebekah tapped her chin. "Let me see. It could have been the first time he saw you. Or maybe it was the first time he brought home a pair of you panties."

Caroline's jaw dropped. So that's wear her most expensive pair of underwear had gone. That was over a year ago. She had accused the pre-teen boy who lived next door of the theft.

Klaus looked around wildly from Caroline to Rebekah. "I did not do that." However, Caroline's cheeks were turning bright red.

Rebekah thought further on the subject. "Yes, and I recall Kol telling me that he spotted Klaus climbing into your bedroom window about six months ago."

Caroline turned to Klaus, "You did what?" She shouted causing customers in the dining room to look up. A little boy of about five came up and asked for a refill of his lemonade. Klaus turned around and snapped at the child to get it himself. The child's eyes filled with tears and Caroline just shook her head. She took the boy's cup and got him a refill. She also gave the boy a free chocolate shake and an extra toy. The child walked back to his mother waving his new toy.

Klaus was scowling at Rebekah. "So, is there anything else creepy that your brother has done that I don't know about?" Caroline asked. Rebekah's eyes gleamed with malice as she smiled at her brother, who looked like he was about to attack.

"As much as I love a chick fight isn't it about time you guys got out of here?" Damon looked at the rest of the crew. He had Elena's head cocked to the side and looked well rested. Elena was standing behind him and Stefan was to her left. Rebekah would be there until 8 pm to help through the mid-shift. Mr. Brown was in the basement of the Salvatore Boarding house. He had agreed with Stefan that everyone would be safer that way. They had set him up with a bed and TV in the cell downstairs. Also someone was supposed to come by every two hours to bring him anything he might need, including company.

Caroline, Klaus, Elijah and Matt left in a hurry. Matt had to get to the Grill and the others had to get Elijah locked up before he could bite anyone. They were quiet for awhile as Caroline drove toward the Mikaelson mansion. Caroline decided to break the silence first. "We all know something weird about each other now. Therefore, we need to get along. I mean Elijah's about to go through something really horrible. So, Klaus, you had better get it together and help your brother. And I want my panties back."

They went into the house. "Caroline's right," Klaus said. Elijah and Caroline turned to stare at him. This was a bigger shock to Elijah who had never heard Klaus say that anyone else was right before.

Elijah looked at his brother. "I am truly sorry that I tried to have sex with you last night."

Klaus shrugged, "It's the werewolf aggression. But don't try it again." They smiled at each other but decided against touching.

They walked to the basement and Caroline stared at the cells with blood on the walls and chains along with various other instruments she did not want to think about. They found a fairly clean cell and pulled some chains from the wall. They placed the cuffs around Elijah's wrists and he tried them to make sure they were secure. After that is was a matter of sitting around and waiting.

Caroline turned to Klaus, "Did you really used to climb into my window at night?"

"Yes, I used to watch you from the backyard. One night I could not stand to watch you cry in your sleep. So, I climbed in through the window and held you until you fell asleep."

Caroline stared at a stone wall taking this information in. "That would explain why I suddenly started sleeping better," she smiled slightly.

They were broken out of their moment when Elijah began to moan. Klaus turned to Caroline, "It's started. Whatever you do, do not get too close to him, a werewolf's bite is fatal to a vampire."

"Really? And you're telling me this now?" Caroline asked exasperated.

Elijah was also freaking out. He was not used to experiencing the tidal wave of emotions that he was going through at this moment. The emotions that he felt he kept bottled up. Elijah was not one for advertising what he felt, unlike his younger siblings. However, at this very moment Elijah could not control anything. This damn body felt every little pang and his eyes were filled with tears. He was gasping and felt the Lockwood boy's heart pounding in his chest. He thought that he might be on the brink of a heart attack. The pain he felt in his chest was excruciating. Every bone and muscle felt like it was on fire and he could feel them beginning to change form.

Elijah screamed in pain making Klaus and Caroline jump. Klaus crawled over to his brother, who was holding his head in his hands and hot tears were running down his cheeks. Elijah was sweating profusely but Klaus reached out and placed one of Caroline's hands on Tyler's shoulder. Klaus wanted to calm his brother. He had never seen Elijah panic. It seemed unnatural. Even if Elijah was in anther body Klaus knew his brother and he knew that this was not a condition that Elijah would ever want anyone to see him in.

Caroline was sitting in a corner watching the two carefully. She was not entirely comfortable about how close her human body was to a werewolf which was about to undergo his first transition. 'Wasn't that extremely dangerous?' she wondered. However, Caroline was not about to step between the brothers given what Klaus had just told her. She watched as Klaus held his brother's temporary shoulder and tried to distract him.

Klaus looked his brother in the eye. "Elijah, do you remember when we were young boys? We would go running and jump in the creek. The water was cool and we would even do it in the early winter. Go there, now, Elijah. Think of the cold water and how free we felt." Klaus watched as Elijah began to take in deep breaths remembering a time long ago. Klaus was cursing his luck. He was not good at this kind of thing. He wished Finn were there. Although Klaus was not fond of Finn and always thought him to be rather judgmental, Finn would probably be better suited to get Elijah through this process.

After a while Klaus and Caroline believed that Elijah had calmed down until he howled in pain as Tyler's bones began to break one by one. Klaus put a hand on his brother's back as Elijah pressed his head to the stone floor and openly cried. "God, Nik, this hurts."

"I know, brother, I know. I wish I could do something to help you." Klaus said sincerely. He never expected that any of his siblings would have to transition. That was something he wanted to do himself because that is who he was. It was natural to him to become a wolf but the sight of his older brother going through the transition caused him to feel nauseous.

Elijah was trying to calm down. He did not want this. Niklaus must be truly insane to want to go through this amount of pain. Elijah could see absolutely no advantage to becoming a wolf. This was terrible and the sooner he was back in his new own body the better. He did not know what he would do if he had to make the transition all three nights.

"How much longer do you think this is going to take?" Caroline asked. She was beginning to feel impatient watching Elijah and not being able to help.

Klaus looked back at Caroline, "It could take a while longer because this is the first transition." He turned back to Elijah, who looked miserable. "Elijah," he took one of his brother's hands in his own. "You will get through this." Elijah nodded but he looked doubtful before another pang of pain ripped through him.

Elijah leaned his head on Caroline's shoulder. He was breathing heavily as his younger brother patted him on the back again. Klaus was becoming concerned about whether or not Elijah would survive this change. Yes, it was natural to the Lockwood boy because this was his gene and although he did not know it yet he was stronger than he thought. However, Elijah was used to having the strength of an Original vampire. It was obvious that he was attempting to resist the transition, which was probably making the process worse.

Klaus wanted to tell Elijah to give into the transition. That was until Elijah's face began to move over Caroline's shoulder blade and Klaus began to fear that they were about to have a repeat of last night. 'Not again,' Klaus groaned inwardly until he felt teeth sink into the tender flesh he residing inside. "Ow," Klaus yelled.

Caroline jumped to her feet looking around for a weapon. She spotted something that looked like a long stick and grabbed it. She ran forward at full vamp speed. "Bad dog," Caroline growled, which sounded a lot more natural coming out in Damon's voice. Caroline took the stick and wacked Elijah over the head. She watched as Tyler's body crumpled to the floor.

Klaus was scrambling away frantically. This was horrible. Elijah had not just bitten Caroline's shoulder. He looked down at the torn flesh. There was a little blood trickling down from the wound. Klaus felt arms wrap around him and pull him off the floor. Caroline ran out of the cell and up the stairs. She shoved the door closed with her foot and carried Klaus upstairs to his bedroom and laid him down on his bed.

Klaus was already beginning to feel the effects of the bite. He moaned, gritting Caroline's teeth and clutching the bedspread in his fists. "What's happening?" Caroline was sitting next to him with wide eyes. Klaus just shook his head as he began to sweat.

"I am so, so sorry, Caroline," Klaus now had tears running down Caroline's cheeks. He bent her head back and elicited a scream which made Caroline very nervous.

Caroline grabbed her own shoulders. "Klaus, tell me what's happening?"

Klaus just shook her head. "He bit me, love."

Caroline stared at him, frowning. "Yes, he bit you and I can clean the wound. I don't think it's that bad. But I hope it doesn't scar?" Caroline tried to smile but could tell it did not look natural.

Caroline got up to get some supplies to clean the wound when Klaus grabbed Damon's wrist. Caroline looked down at him, questioningly. "Caroline, there is something you need to know. But I want you to sit down first."

Klaus sat up and Caroline's face scrunched up in pain. "Love, when Elijah bit me he injected your system with werewolf venom. Do you know what I'm trying to tell you?"

Caroline stared at him, gulping "I'm going to die?"

Klaus shook his head no. Caroline sighed, "Okay, so then what?"

"The myths about when a werewolf bites a human are true." Klaus waited for this information to sink in. Caroline sat for a moment and then got up. She began to pace the floor staring at the walls. The hands that she was forced to use were buried in the head of short hair she was stuck in during this whole stupid crisis. She suddenly sat down on the floor, bringing Damon's knees up to meet his chin. 'No, no, no. This was not happening,' she thought. She did not want this. The last thing that Caroline Forbes wanted was to turn into a stupid furry beast once a month. It was enough having the other kind of " that time of the month." She let out a mirthless laugh.

Klaus climbed off the bed, biting Caroline's lower lip, hissing in pain as he made his way over to the woman he loved. "I'm sorry, Caroline. I wish I could fix this. I should have been more careful…"

Caroline's voice trailed off as Klaus watched Caroline push herself to Damon's feet. "You're right. This is your fault." Caroline turned away from Klaus and vamp sped out of the room. Klaus continued to cry as he sat on the floor. He felt sobs beginning to cause Caroline's body to convulse.

Rebekah walked into the room and looked down at her brother. "What happened?" she looked at the bite mark and the blood and sped out of the room. She was back in a matter of seconds holding alcohol and bandages. She picked the body her brother was in up, gently shushing him. After cleaning the wound and laying him down, she covered the other blonde's body with a blanket. She left the room and she fully intended on having a discussion with Miss Mystic Falls the next day. Rebekah turned off the light switch and closed the door to her brother's room. She needed to check on Elijah.

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you Fallen Witch Angel, asixua and Guest reviewer. asixua: Elijah is going to loosen a little bit and he is going to fall in love. Guest: I glad you love the story and, yes, I will write the sequel. It might be some time before it is posted because WtAB has slowed down considerably. However, it will appear. Review, favorite, follow. The next update will be posted next Thursday. **


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello Readers. I hope that you are still enjoying this story and I am sorry about the less frequent updates and the whole hiatus for a day thing. So, when you have time please send me a review so I know that you're reading the story. **

**Just as a quick reminder.**

**Caroline is in Damon's body.**

**Klaus is in Caroline's.**

**Tyler is in Bonnie's.**

**Elena is in Mr. Brown's.**

**Stefan is in Klaus's.**

**Elijah is in Tyler's.**

**Damon is in Elena's. **

**Mr. Brown is in Stefan's**

Chapter 17: Howling at the Moon

Tyler Lockwood had always hated Mondays. He usually associated them with school. Now, he associated them with work at this freak show. He had taken the job because he wanted to spend time with Caroline but she was always with the stupid guy with the British accent. Even now, when they were in other people's bodies she was still with that jerk. He was all wrong for her. And on top of everything apparently the guy was a vampire. I mean, that was just wrong. The guy was going to hurt Caroline and Tyler was not going to just stand back and watch it happen.

Tyler had thought things wouldn't be so bad when he arrived at work with Damon. Caroline came in to cover Damon's mid-shift and Rebekah had opened with Klaus and Elijah. Mr. Brown was still locked up. Stefan was going to come in and close to cover for Kol, who had vanished. Elena also was going to close. Damon was going to work an extra shift to help his brother and his girlfriend.

Damon and Tyler had stayed up part of the night talking about the supernatural things they knew. They had sat up longer than they needed to and had gotten sloppy drunk with Elena's aunt Jenna, who was actually pretty cool. Damon had kept eating ice cream saying that he'd never eaten anything that tasted so good in his entire life. They had gone to the grocery store and bought more ice cream and Tyler had felt the urge for chocolate. He ate two large Symphony bars and a pint of chocolate ice cream. They both ended up laying on Elena's bed, holding their stomachs and moaning. After that they raided Elena's stash of chick flicks. Most of the films were pretty bad in the guys' opinions.

Tyler snuck into Jeremy's room and stole his weed. After smoking a joint they began to laugh hysterically at _My_ _Best_ _Friend's_ _Wedding_. They both agreed that Cameron Diaz was hot and that Julia Roberts had great hair.

They fell asleep at about 4 am and didn't wake up until 10 am. They rushed to get ready for work. It turned out that Damon was much better at applying make-up and fixing their hair. Tyler lifted an eyebrow in question. Damon shrugged Elena's shoulders, "I've been alive for a long time."

When they got to work Caroline was walking out of the office. Damon's features were twisted in a dangerous look. If it weren't for Tyler's knowledge of the fact that the real Damon stood beside him he probably would have left work early. Instead, he approached the angry figure, carefully. He may be in the body of a witch but he did not know how to use Bonnie's powers and he did not have a death wish. "Caroline," he said, cautiously.

Caroline turned around and looked down at Tyler. "Oh, hi," she said, dully. She seemed depressed, as Damon's shoulders slumped.

"Are you okay?" Tyler asked, Bonnie's face taking on a concerned expression.

Elena's face popped in between the two with a crazy grin. "Who wants root beer shakes?" Caroline and Tyler stared at Damon like he was crazy.

Tyler spoke first, "I think you had enough ice cream last night, dude."

Elena's head shook as Damon began to make a root beer shake. "I love ice cream."

Caroline shook Damon's head at the real Damon. "You are going to make Elena gain weight if you keep eating like that."

Damon turned toward the blonde. "Nope, Blondie. I have been running around like crazy and burning as many calories as possible. So, no, I will not be making this beautiful body chunky." Elena's eyes widened. "Speaking of chunky. Do you think that there is any more Chunky Monkey ice cream back at the Gilbert's? Maybe I should call Jenna and ask her to pick some up." Elena's lips quirked up as Damon began to fantasize about more ice cream.

Caroline began to smile until she noticed that Klaus was trying to wave her over. "Tyler can you help Klaus with whatever it is he wants?" Tyler ended up helping Klaus with a lot of things that day so that Caroline did not have to talk to the would-be hybrid. Neither were too happy about that arrangement. The worst part was when Tyler began to feel Bonnie's stomach cramp. He suddenly needed to pee. So, he went to the ladies' room and almost fainted when he saw the red spot on her underwear.

"No," he moaned.

"Are you alright?" an unfamiliar woman's voice called.

"Umm… Yeah, I'm fine." Tyler called. Bonnie's voice was hoarse.

"Are you sure?" the woman called.

"Do you… ummm…do you happen to have…ummm…my period started and I don't have anything with me?" Tyler wanted to die. He had never had to say something like that before. He was so glad that none of the guys on the team could see him now. Not that they would get it, but still…

A female hand appeared at the bottom of the door. Her fingernails were painted red and she waved a green covered package at him. 'Thank god, it's not a tampon.' Tyler thought. He did not want to have to deal with figuring out how to use one of those things. He opened the package carefully, examining it. He pulled the Kotex off its piece of paper wrapping and then wondered what to do now. It seemed to have some kind of adhesive on the bottom.

"Do you need help?" the woman called.

Tyler did not know how to respond to that question. 'Did women usually help each other insert Kotex.' While Tyler was thinking about that problem the woman began to speak again. "You take the Kotex and put it in your underwear. Make sure it's going to cover enough space, so that you don't have leaks." Tyler did what the woman instructed him to do. "Now, you want to take the little piece of paper off the wings. You fold those little tabs over on the outside of your underwear. You'll want to check about every couple of hours, if this is your first period. One of your co-workers should have extra Kotex if you need them."

When Tyler came out he was surprised to see a tall, pretty woman with warm brown eyes smiling at him. "Thanks for the help. I'm sure that wasn't something you have to deal with every day."

The woman waved a hand and began fluffing her hair and checking her makeup. "It was nothing. I'm a reporter. So, trust me when I say that I've covered stories that would make this seem like nothing." The woman smiled at Tyler and waved good-bye before exiting the bathroom. When Tyler left he nearly ran into Damon coming in. Damon was too busy checking out the woman, who had helped Tyler. "Andie Starr is hot," Damon said with a chuckle. Tyler nodded and hurried back to work.

Tyler knew exactly where he was headed after work and it was not to buy more Kotex. The minute Bonnie's shift was over Tyler ran into the parking lot. He had borrowed Elena's car keys and was headed to Bonnie's grandmother's house. When he got there Shelia Bennett seemed to know that there was something off.

For one thing Tyler called her Mrs. Bennett. He wasn't thinking it had been another long day and all he wanted was to be back in his own body. Shelia sat him down and he explained what he knew about the spell. Shelia had made him a cup of tea to deal with the pain and to calm his nerves. Tyler clutched the cup, hoping with all his might that Shelia could fix this. She left the room and came back with a Grimoire.

They were both quiet as she found what she needed. After some time she told him that they needed to gather everyone who had been switched together in order to place them back in their bodies.

Tyler nodded and then he groaned. "Bonnie is gone."

Shelia fixed him with one of those Shelia Bennett stares. "What do you mean my granddaughter is gone?"

Tyler shrugged. "She left. No one has heard from her since."

Shelia frowned, "She isn't hurt. I would feel it if she were. So, we will help the others and when Bonnie returns we will change you two back."

"Three," Tyler corrected.

"Excuse me?" Shelia pinned him with another one of those looks.

"Well, I'm in Bonnie's body but she's in Elijah Mikaelson's body and he's in mine."

Shelia shook her head. Her grandbaby was stuck in the body of an Original vampire. That was not good at all. "We need to get all of you switched back as soon as possible."

They decided to go to 'Amp Burger first. When they found out that Elijah, Klaus and Caroline had left they had no choice but to head to the Mikaelson's. Stefan closed the store for the night. He wanted to get back into his body as much as anyone else.

Everyone who had been part of the switch, plus Shelia, walked up to the front door of the Mikaelson mansion. Matt answered the door to everyone's surprise. "Hey," he said. "What's going on?"

Elena explained to Matt why they were there. Shelia walked into the home and felt many waves of unpleasant activity. Rebekah came into the living room. The witch and the vampire simply looked at each other. "I'm Shelia Bennett I am here to help your friends." Shelia stated without preamble.

Rebekah snorted and then sat down on one of the sofas looking at her nails. "Good luck with that."

Shelia just stared at the girl or what should be a girl. She could feel the darkness radiating from the blonde but refused to back down. "Where is Caroline Forbes?"

"She's upstairs," Rebekah said with disdain dripping from every word. Shelia started in that direction. Rebekah's voice stopped her. "You cannot do the spell tonight."

Shelia turned back to the old vampire child. "Why not?"

"Because my brother Klaus, who is currently in her body is going through his first transition as we speak. Elijah, my other older brother is also in transition."

Tyler stepped forward. "What?" he cried.

Elena asked, "How is Klaus transitioning?"

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Elijah killed a man. Now, you are a werewolf, Tyler. Good luck." She smiled at him in a predatory manner. "Then there is Caroline. Apparently, Klaus got a little close to Elijah last night and Caroline's body was bitten. Klaus is now suffering for his little human. Now, if you don't mind I want you all to leave."

Damon stepped forward, "No way. We're staying here until tomorrow. We want our bodies back and we are not leaving until we get them."

Rebekah snarled and it took Matt holding her back to prevent her from ripping Elena's head off. They decided to sit down and play truth or dare while Shelia sat down and continued to study the spell. After awhile Rebekah came over and sat down with Shelia. "Do you need help with anything?" she asked the witch.

Shelia examined the vampire. "I can feel magic coming off of you, child."

Rebekah looked down, "My mother was a witch."

Shelia nodded, "Maybe you can help me with the spell."

Rebekah looked at Shelia, her eyes lighting up. "Really?" She never got to try to use magic. After Rebekah transitioned into a vampire she thought that she would never be able to do magic but maybe she could help.

Rebekah was startled when she heard a girl's scream. She realized that Damon had wondered off. Everyone jumped when they say the body of Elena Gilbert come careening down the hallway leading toward the basement with two large furry animals hot on her heels. The one in front would have bitten her if there were not a sudden flash and then Elena's body was pressed to Klaus' on the second floor. Elena's chest was heaving and Damon threw Elena's arms around the body possessed by his brother, thankfully.

Everyone with super speed grabbed a human and made the same move. Rebekah grabbed two, she had one arm around Bonnie's grandmother and the other around Matt.

They watched as the werewolves knocked down the door and then ran into the night. Damon was the first to speak. "The neighborhood just went to the dogs."

This was followed by a chorus of "Shut up, Damon."

**Thank you for your review xo Marie. In the next chapter Bonnie returns so that poor Elijah and Tyler can have their bodies back. **** Let me know what you thought of the chapter and check out my other stories when you have time.**

**Love,**

**LL**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hello Readers. Welcome back to Amp Burger. I'm sitting on 49 reviews. Please be number 50, 51, 52… We still have a ways to go with this story and your opinions are greatly valued as I work on the sequel The Last Resort. Pllllleeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaassssssssseeeeeeeeeeee! **** Thanks for reading.**

**Love,**

**LL**

Chapter 18: Give Me Back My Body!

Caroline Forbes was sitting on Klaus' bed staring at a wall. Stupid man. Stupid vampire. Stupid werewolf. Stupid Hybrid thingy. Stupid body snatching, handsome, stalking, weirdo, possibly crazy, British accented, great kissing, over-protective creep. He turned her into a werewolf. A werewolf! A big, furry, smelly dog. Oh, God. I'm a dog. Caroline jumped to Damon's feet and began to pace. Stupid Klaus. Stupid Klaus. Stupid Klaus.

Caroline turned Damon's head when she heard a scream. She ran into the hall and watched as two wolves ran out the door. Oh, no, he did not just run out the door.

Caroline barely noticed everyone else, who were standing around on the second floor as she began to run down the stairs. Someone grabbed her from behind and stopped her from running out the door. She hear Klaus' stupid accent in her ear and felt his arm around Damon's waist. She allowed herself to be tugged back inside. Stefan set her down. Rebekah came back down with a couple of guns. She threw one to Stefan and one to Caroline.

"I'm not going to kill myself." Caroline stated.

Everyone turned around and looked at her. She held the gun up to indicate what she meant. Rebekah rolled her eyes. "They are filled with tranquilizers." She replied as if addressing a hampester. She walked to the door, "As for the rest of you, I suggest you look for somewhere to sleep. Do not use my bedroom." With that Rebekah turned around and walked out the space where the door used to be. Stefan and Caroline followed her into the night.

They searched the woods and Stefan said he could smell them. Rebekah and Caroline ended up having to pair off to search for Klaus while Stefan chose to look for Elijah by himself. Stefan found Elijah easily enough.

Elijah had kept stopping every couple of trees to mark them and then he had eaten several woodland creatures. He had then laid down and gone to sleep under a tree a mile from the woods. Caroline and Rebekah had to spend a longer time finding Klaus. The stupid dog bastard as Caroline kept silently calling him.

As it turned out Klaus had instinctively moved into a more residential area and was stalking people out for late night strolls. Klaus had tried to eat a vampire and was now running for his, well, Caroline's life. 'Damn, damn, damn, my bloody luck.' Klaus chanted, I should have noticed but I was hungry. The vampire was gaining on him. He should just turn around and bite the ignorant blood sucker for having the nerve to try to attack him. 'I am Niklaus Mikaelson. I do not run.' He was about to turn around when he saw his sister and Caroline running toward him.

Caroline rushed forward. She grabbed the vampire by the neck and plunged her hand into the other vampire's chest. Her hand came out with a heart clutched inside Damon's hand. With a look of disgust, she took it and threw it across the yard she was standing in. "Ew," she rubbed her hands on Damon's pants.

Rebekah was looking at her brother. "You have been a very bad werewolf. Now, we are going home. If you do not go willingly I will shoot you," she stated with a gleeful grin.

Caroline rolled her eyes. Klaus looked back at Caroline and then bent his head downward in shame. "I have good news, brother." Rebekah told Klaus, as they walked back. "You're getting your body back." Klaus looked up at Rebekah and shook his furry head. She put her hand on her hip. "What do you mean, no?" Rebekah turned to Caroline, "You want your body back, right?" Caroline shrugged.

"Oh, come on," Rebekah cried. "This is ridiculous. Here, I will do you both a favor." Rebekah lifted the gun and shot them both. Then she grabbed a leg of each party involved and dragged them down the street and all the way back to the mansion.

Everyone was shocked when they saw the two bodies. She tied both of them up. Stefan had already tied Elijah up. They waited two hours until the sun came up and Klaus and Elijah transitioned back to human form. Klaus and Caroline were not happy when they woke up to find that they had been gagged.

Sheila and Rebekah began the spell in the following minutes. Soon those who had had their bodies switched were sleeping soundly. Shelia and Rebekah traded a look. They sat down with a couple of mugs of tea and watched the group carefully. Klaus was the first to wake up. He jumped to his feet and untied a sleeping Caroline. He sped up the stairs. The last thing Klaus wanted was for others to see his Caroline, all of his Caroline.

Klaus opened one of the drawers to his dressers. He pulled out a blue, silk, suit shirt. As Caroline lay on the bed asleep he unbuttoned the shirt and pulled each of her arms through a sleeve. He did not look up and did not see Caroline open her eyes. It was only when Caroline placed her hand on the front of his shirt and jerked him down on top of her that he realized she was awake.

Klaus gasped when he looked in Caroline's eyes as she reached out and pulled his head down. Their mouths met and seconds later his clothes were laying in a pile on the floor. The shirt he had begun to dress Caroline in ended up on the floor. They were both gasping for breath as they moved together in what felt like the most natural dance that Klaus had ever performed in his entire life. There was nothing for him but this warm human body pressed to his, her scent, her skin, her mouth, he did not want to be anywhere but here.

Downstairs the rest of the group were beginning to come to. Elena was rubbing her head yawning. The first thing she noticed was Damon rolling around on the floor attempting to loosen the binds that held him. Although there were quite a few people up, moving around, no one felt the inclination to help Damon. Damon sat up and slid on his rear-end over to Stefan. He grinned up at his younger brother and held out his arms for Stefan to untie. Stefan just smiled down at Damon and then walked away.

Damon fell over trying to slide after his brother and then began to make noises which everyone figured were curse words. His eyes lit up when he saw a wave of brown hair descend over his face as hands tenderly untied the gag. Elena kissed Damon on the mouth before she untied his hands and feet. He pulled her into his arms and they ended up on the floor. Rebekah had freed Elijah, who was still stuck in Tyler's body. Elijah stared down at the couple, who looked like they were about to have intercourse on the floor. He shook his head and ran for the door which wasn't there. The last thing he needed was to see live porn.

Sheila Bennett had gone into the dining room to enjoy her tea and talk to Rebekah about witchcraft. Mr. Brown was happy to be back in his own body and left.

"Where do you think Caroline is?" Elena asked, pulling away from Damon for a moment. Damon reached up and moved her hair behind her left ear. "She's having a very happy reunion with the local psycho. Now, where were we?" Damon pulled her back down.

However, Elena pulled back, "Don't you think we should try to make sure she's alright?"

Damon groaned. He closed his eyes and concentrated and then a grin spread across his face. "I do not think we should go up there right now." He opened his eyes and cocked an eyebrow. "That is, unless you want to watch your friend doing what we should be doing at this moment." Damon's hand slid down the zipper of Elena's pants.

"No, they are not," Elena said. Her mouth was wide open as she thought about it.

Damon cocked his head to the side. "Actually, they're about done. So, if you want to go up and say hello in about another ten minutes. They might be done. On the other hand."

Elena smacked Damon playfully on the shoulder. Then she got up. "Let's go," Damon pouted, "back to you place." Damon instantly cheered up. They left quickly.

The only person left in the living room was Tyler, who was looking around mournfully. He wanted his body back. Suddenly, there was a figure in the doorway. "Honey, I'm home." Kol walked in with a wide grin. Bonnie followed him inside.

"Oh my God, what happened here?" Bonnie was looking at the empty door frame.

Tyler jumped up from the sofa and ran to the couple. He threw his arms around Bonnie. "Thank God you are back. Mrs. Bennett," he yelled. "Bonnie's back." He turned to Bonnie "We need to call Elijah so we can finish."

"Finish? Finish what?" Bonnie asked. She looked up when her grandmother walked into the room. Bonnie vamp sped over to the older woman and hugged her gently.

Kol took that opportunity to go and pester his brother. He flung the door open to Klaus' bedroom to reveal a naked couple writhing on Klaus' bed. "Ha, ha. Look at you. Nik is getting laid. Oh, where is my video camera?" Kol stopped laughing when Klaus turned his head in Kol's direction. The roar he emitted was so loud that Caroline had to cover her ears and everyone in the home could hear him.

Downstairs Rebekah had come into the living room. She looked at the ceiling as there was a very loud thump above their heads. "I suppose that Kol found Klaus and Caroline." They saw Kol's body fly over the bannister and then a very naked Klaus turned around and headed back to his room. They heard the sound of a loud slam as his bedroom door closed.

Kol sat up, "Maybe next time he'll remember to lock the door." He grinned at the group gathered in the living room. "What have I missed?"

Elijah stepped into the living room holding a little creature in Tyler's arms. The creature let out a happy yap when in it saw Kol and wriggled out of Tyler's arms and sped toward Kol, tail waving. Elijah sighed, "I found that dog in the yard. Looking at the tag I found that it was engraved with our residence's address. I suspected that it belonged to someone in this home." Elijah gave Kol a pointed look as Kol laid on the floor holding his puppy and making cooing noises.

"Ah, Nik, I missed you," Kol cooed at the puppy.

Klaus and Caroline were walking down the stairs. "You rang." Klaus called with a smirk. His fingers were intertwined with Caroline's and a huge grin was plastered across his face.

Kol glared at his older brother from his position on the floor. "Not you, dagger boy. I was talking to my beautiful boy. You are not even pretty. You are a mean, awful person and you smell like dog. Nik Jr. is a vast improvement."

Klaus scowled at Kol and took a step toward him. He only stopped when Caroline put a hand on his arm. "He's not worth it." That was when she saw Bonnie, or rather Elijah's body. Caroline dropped Klaus' hand and ran to her friend. Bonnie and Caroline squeezed each other. "I can't believe you are back. I missed you, Bon."

Tyler coughed, "Umm… not to interrupt but can we, please, switch back now."

Sheila stepped forward, "That would be a good idea. The rest of you need to leave so the spell will not end up going wrong."

Everyone else went into the dining room, except for Kol. Klaus grabbed a fist full of Kol's hair and jerked him into the dining room.

Five minutes later Elijah sat up. He ran upstairs. He needed the comfort of one his suits, immediately. Tyler sat up and cheered, "I'm not having a period." This made the group in the dining room laugh hysterically. Bonnie woke up and embraced her Grams.

Kol popped his head into the living room. "Can we come back now?" Bonnie nodded and Kol raced into the living room. He picked Bonnie up and spun her around. After setting her on her feet he pressed his lips to hers.

Bonnie was surprised when Kol kissed her but she didn't pull away instantly. Everyone else in the room seemed shocked by this display of affection, except for Sheila. The older witch sighed. She had seen this coming. The only thing she wanted was for her baby girl to be careful. Kol looked at Sheila and smiled. Sheila's lips tipped upward before she gave Kol a mini aneurysm as a threat. Kol's smile disappeared.

Klaus pulled Caroline to his side. "We need to get back to work, love. And we're late." He looked down at Caroline with a gleam in his eyes as he reflected upon the reasons they were late. Caroline leaned into him and nuzzled his neck before turning and heading for the door. Klaus grinned as he allowed his little human to drag him out the door.

The couple decided to walk to work after grabbing some work clothes for Caroline. Klaus had called Mr. Brown and asked him if he was up for coming in today because he could call someone else if the other man was too tired. Mr. Brown had decided to go ahead and come in for his regular shift.

When they all arrived it was 9 am. They had an hour to get the restaurant ready. Klaus was in such a good mood that he told Brown that he could take his time and that he would help with anything the other man needed. This made Brown slightly uncomfortable. He was still adjusting to this whole vampires and witches and werewolves thing. His boss was now whirling around the restaurant setting things up and doing Caroline's job as she continually spun in the chair from the office which she pulled out toward the lobby.

Klaus had told Caroline to sit down and relax. Caroline took this as sit in the office chair and spin until she began to feel dizzy. She was a werewolf. Tonight she was going to have every bone in her body break and turn into a furry animal. She had not told Klaus that when she woke up after being placed back in her body she had been scared out of her mind. The next thing she knew she was grabbing her on again, off again, boyfriend and pulling him into an embrace. Don't get her wrong. The sex was good. Scratch that the sex was fabulous. If she had to give it a grade it would be an A+++. Part of that would have to do with the fact that she was falling for Klaus, hard. That scared her even more than the whole werewolf thing.

Caroline wanted to be with him without reservation but Klaus had issues. There were so many things that she did not know about this man, this being. The worst part was that Caroline was still human. She was going to grow older and she was going to die. Whereas, Klaus was going to live, maybe forever. Caroline did not know if she wanted to live forever but she wasn't sure she wanted to die either. She did not know what to do.

"Klaus," Caroline called.

The blur stopped in front of her. "Yes, love," Klaus leaned over Caroline and kissed her gently on the mouth.

"Mmmm…," Caroline replied. When Klaus pulled away he looked at her with as serious an expression as he could present at the moment. He was happier than he had ever been in his entire thousand plus years. Klaus wanted to do a back flip and he probably would have if there were not witnesses. There was so much that he wanted to do with Caroline. Things he wanted to show her. He never wanted to part from his little, baby werewolf.

"Klaus, when you changed last night. How bad was it?" Caroline bite her lip. She was afraid of what the answer was.

Klaus frowned, thinking about last night. He took Caroline's hands and pulled her out of the chair. He sat down and then pulled Caroline into his lap. Caroline laid her head against his chest and Klaus stroked her hair. Mr. Brown decided to take an early break so that the couple could have some privacy.

"Well, it was painful. It was, actually, rather painful." Klaus tucked Caroline's head beneath his chin thinking about last night. He had never experienced the amount of pain as he had in Caroline's body the night before. Even in his human life he had not experienced that amount of pain before. The last thing he wanted to do was scare Caroline. He felt her heart pounding in her chest. It wasn't just the werewolf in her that was causing this. A large part of this was due to her terror. Klaus wanted to be able to fix this for her but in the current situation there was not much he could do.

Caroline turned in the chair. She slid her legs around Klaus's waist and kissed him on the mouth. She began to unbutton his shirt. He smiled down at her and pushed the chair into the office and closed the door. They emerged around the time that the store opened. Caroline was flushed and Klaus was beaming.

Klaus took over waiting on the customers on the counter. He had Caroline working in the drive-thru so that he could slide over and help her. Caroline was enjoying her new found speed. Klaus barely had to help her and she spun on her heels grabbing things. After a while she was giggling and even Mr. Brown cracked a smile at the blonde's antics.

Klaus had stopped being annoyed with the customers. He greeted each with a welcoming smile and made sure that each received precisely what they ordered. Even the rudest customers left the counter with a smile and were complimenting the young man's managerial skills. It was not until 11:30 am that the grin began to slip. Bonnie and Tyler had arrived for their shifts but Elena and Damon were late.

Klaus went back to the office and dialed Damon's number. After several rings he heard, "You have reached Damon Salvatore's phone. I am obviously busy doing something a lot more interesting than talking to you. So, when you hear the beep leave whatever lame message you have and I'll get back to you when I have nothing better to do."

Klaus scowled at the phone. When the beep came Klaus left a message. "Salvatore, get your sorry arse off of my doppelgänger and get it to work. Or option number two is that before I stake you, I will make sure that you will never be using that appendage of yours on another stupid young lady again." With a satisfied smirk, Klaus hung up and went back to work.


	19. Chapter 19

**I want to take this time to thank everyone who is still reading this story. You guys are great. We are past the halfway point in the story. We're near a very exciting chapter The Sacrifice which will be another three parter. There will be lots of surprises in store for the group in those chapters and new canon characters appear. So, pleeeeeeaaaaaasssssse when you have the time drop me a review. I like to know what you think as we make our way toward the end. As always enjoy the chapter and I will see at the bottom! **

Chapter 19: Alone at Last

Klaus was right in his assumption that Damon and Elena were together, very together. Where he was wrong was in assuming that it was Damon that needed to get off his doppelgänger. Actually, Damon was underneath the doppelgänger. Elena was content to lay on Damon's bare chest for the rest of the day. She only moved when she heard the beep of Damon's phone. Elena angled herself so that that she could grab the phone off the floor without falling off the bed. Damon lazily opened an eye, no longer feeling the warmth of Elena's body on top of his. His hand slid across the bed spread and up her ankle.

Soon Elena found herself straddling Damon as he ran his hands up her bare back. "Umm…," she groaned, smiling as she looked at Klaus' name on the screen.

Damon looked at the screen and rolled his eyes. "Ignore it," he murmured as he began to kiss Elena's throat. They were soon moving together and pretending the outside world did not exist. An hour and a half later Elena picked the phone back up, as Damon kissed her foot. She listened to Klaus' message frowning. "Psycho," she muttered.

Damon had been listening to the message, frowning. He pulled Elena by the hands so that she was on top of him, once more. He took her face in his hands. "I will not let him hurt you, Elena."

Elena looked down at him, "I know. But that doesn't mean that I shouldn't be scared. Klaus wants to kill me."

Damon stoked her hair. He hated that he had to tell Elena about what was going on but he felt that he had to be honest with her to get her to co-operate.

Elena was thinking about the first time they met. She had been drunk and she had not thought it was weird that Damon was just wandering around on an empty street. However, he had been very sweet that night. That night Damon had told her what she wanted to hear about herself and he had been right. She wanted to continue the conversation but a strange thing happened.

Caroline and Bonnie emerged from the woods wearing necklaces made of purple flowers. They were dancing together, singing. When they spotted Elena and Damon they ran over. Caroline took another flower necklace and placed it around Elena's neck. Then Caroline turned to Damon. "Oh, you are cute. Here let me give you a present."

Caroline stumbled toward Damon, who stepped back like the necklace would burn him. "No, thank you," he waved the drunken blonde away as if he were warding off a demon. Bonnie had grabbed Elena by the arm, "We have to go back to the party."

Damon stopped them, "Where did you get those necklaces from?"

Bonnie frowned, "I don't know. I woke up this morning and they were on my door stoop. There was a letter saying that they needed to be distributed during the party." Bonnie waved good-bye as Caroline dragged Elena back to the party.

Ever since the first day of work Damon and Elena had been spending as much time together as possible. He explained to her that Klaus was going to try to kill her but that he and Stefan were going to do everything in their power to stop him. They had tried to kill Klaus not long after he had taken up residence in Mystic Falls. Damon and Stefan found Mikael and worked with him to put an end to Klaus. They had not anticipated Elijah stopping them. Neither brother thought that Elijah was even in the same hemisphere.

Damon had convinced Klaus that he and Stefan knew Elena and they could help him with his plan to break the curse. He lied and told Klaus that Mikael had forced them to help Mikael try to kill Klaus. It didn't hurt that Stefan recounted the tale of saving Elena from drowning. The Salvatore brothers could gain her trust and then hand her over when Klaus was ready to enact the sacrifice.

Of course, there was no way in hell that Damon planned on letting Klaus kill the girl, who fit against him in just the right angles. No, Damon had already lost the woman he loved once. This was not going to happen again. "What are we going to do?" Elena asked, her lips rubbing against Damon's chest as she spoke.

Damon looked down into Elena's eyes, "We're going to kill the son of a bitch. That's what we're going to do."

"What about Caroline?"

"What about her?" Damon asked, rubbing his eyes, yawning.

"Caroline is Klaus' girlfriend and she's not going to just sit back while we kill him." Elena climbed off of Damon and began to look for her uniform.

Damon sat up and watched Elena as she pulled out the clothes she needed for the day. "Well, then I guess your part of the plan will be to convince your little blonde friend that Klaus is evil and must be stopped. Or option B, we kill her, too."

Elena whirled around mid-step. She was about to take a shower but that was not about to happen when her boyfriend just suggested that they kill her friend. "WE are NOT killing Caroline!" she yelled.

"Okay, I will kill Caroline." Damon sat back, folding his arms behind his head.

"NO, DAMON," Elena shouted. "You are not going to kill my friend." Damon sighed looking at the ceiling. The girl could be infuriating.

"Fine, Elena. But I am holding you responsible if anything turns out badly." Elena nodded, smiling and went into the bathroom to take a long shower. A minute later she felt a hand massaging her shoulder. "Are you still mad?" Damon asked.

"No, I just don't want you to hurt my friends in order to get rid of Klaus, okay?" Elena felt Damon's hands slide down her body.

They did not arrive at work until 3 pm. Klaus was not happy when they walked in. He told them to come to the office. Damon took Elena's hand in his. There was no way that Klaus would kill her before the sacrifice but the same could not be said of Damon. Caroline came into the office with them. She walked behind Klaus and slid her hand inside his front pocket and his deep frown disappeared.

"Well, then," Klaus said, cheerfully. "I wanted to say that you're both doing an excellent job. Now, I have some business I need to attend to." Klaus' voice rose at the end of the sentence. When Damon and Elena were leaving Klaus heard Damon say under his breath, "Whipped." He really didn't give a damn what Damon thought.

Damon and Elena avoided Klaus as much as possible as the Hybrid's shift concluded and he left with Caroline on his arm. Damon chuckled and Elena gave him a curious look. "Sorry, I was just thinking about Elijah's rules."

Elena giggled, "Yeah, that did not go as planned. Did it? I don't really think that anything Elijah planned is going how he wanted it to." Elena felt slightly guilty but Elijah did not seem to be part of the Stop the Crazy Hybrid plan.

Elena really had no idea how Elijah felt and it wasn't as if she could ask him because then he would know that she knew. If he was working with Klaus then he might leak the information and then Klaus would know that she knew. However, she would not know for sure that Klaus knew that she knew. And if she knew that he knew that she knew then he might figure that out, too and then he would know that she knew that he knew that she knew the original information about the kill Elena Gilbert plan to roam the town and eat whoever was out during the full moon.

This was all so confusing and on top of everything Caroline was about to transition tonight. Elena wanted to stop by the Mikalsons' after work and make sure that Caroline was okay. Kol came in and greeted his crew warmly. He came behind the counter and kissed, Elena, Damon, Matt, Tyler, who had just come in, and Bonnie, on the mouth. "What the hell, man," Tyler spat.

Kol just grinned at all of them. "It is a new rule Elijah said I must treat all my employees in the same manner. Now, if I am going to kiss Bonnie I must kiss you all. Therefore, whatever I do to Bonnie I must do to all of you."

Elena gaped at him. "What?"

Kol began to laugh so hard he fell sideways and put his hand on the grill to stop himself from falling on the floor. "Oh, Sweet Mother of Niklaus," he cursed.

Matt scratched the back of his neck. "How does that make sense?"

Kol looked at the quarterback. "If you ever met Mother you would understand." Kol looked back at his hand as it healed. A yip came from one of his jacket pockets.

Bonnie's eyes widened. "You brought Nik Jr. with you?"

"Of course, I did. I would not be a responsible parent if I left him alone with a furry monster and his girlfriend. They might take it upon themselves to try to eat poor Nik and he's too young to die." He pulled the dog out and handed him to Elena. "Make sure he is properly fed and given a nap. I will be in the office rearranging the inventory list the other Nik made this morning if anyone needs me." Kol winked at Bonnie and disappeared.

Tyler remembered that he needed to leave but he had no idea where to go for the transition. Damon suggested he go to the Mikaelsons', they seemed to now be accepting stray dogs. Elena punched him in the arm but had to agree with Damon. The Mikaelsons would probably be better equipped to deal with Tyler's situation.

Kol was sitting in the office. He was placing an order for five hundred bottles of mustard, two boxes of hamburger, five boxes of fries, five hundred boxes of ketchup, and any other sauce he could think of. He ordered twenty boxes of chicken nuggets. What could he say, he loved the damn things. He also ordered another twenty boxes of shake mix of each flavor they served along with twenty boxes of each drink they had on the menu. He ordered no utensils, nor cleaning supplies, nor did he order toilet paper. He made a special call to a company about installing a pool with a super slide and one of those tube slide things.

Bonnie walked in when he was finishing up. "Elena and Damon left," she announced.

Kol smiled at the computer screen, "Good. Thank you for letting me know, Bonnie." Kol pushed a button and was delighted when the computer made an angry sound and the screen faded to black. "I love technology. Now, how would you like one my special shakes."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "No."

"Why ever not?" Kol pouted, as they exited the office. He took Bonnie's hand in his and began to swing them. When Kol saw a few customers still sitting in the lobby, he shouted at them. "LEAVE." Then he began to look around. "Where is my Nik?"

Matt came up to the front counter holding the dog. "He's been scarfing down bacon cheeseburgers part of the night." Kol took his dog, who was sound asleep. They all thought it was odd that Kol seemed to love the puppy so much. They kept expecting him to throw it into the deep fryer. Kol was now nuzzling the little dog.

"I am making special shakes. If anyone wants one, tell me now." Kol began to make himself a drink. "Come on, Matt. It will put hair on your chest," Kol jeered. Matt rolled his eyes but accepted one of the shakes.

Matt grimaced after one sip. "Dude, that is really horrible."

Bonnie put her hand on Matt's shake. "Now try it again." Matt nodded, slowly sipping and then nodding. "Yup, that's better. Thanks, Bon."

Kol frowned, "Now you're doing magic on my special shakes?"

Bonnie smiled, "Yes, I am. I'm sorry, Kol, but no one should have to drink those things."

Kol pouted. His witch was insulting something that took a lot of effort on his part to create. Bonnie patted him on the arm but he was still upset. The next thing he knew she would be insulting his dog. He cradled Nik protectively. Bonnie sighed, "So, what should we do?" she asked.

Kol cheered up, "I could turn you both into vampires and we could go eat the patrons in a bar." Bonnie and Matt shook their heads vigorously. "Matt, you could climb on the roof and jump. Bonnie can then try out her levitating powers." Matt frantically shook his head no. "Bonnie and I can go in the office and have sex while Matt closes the store."

"No," Bonnie said, firmly.

Kol scowled. That had been his best suggestion, yet. Bonnie spoke up, "Matt, give me your phone." Matt pulled his phone out and handed it to her. She called Rebekah. "Hey, what are you doing right now?"

Rebekah replied, "I'm painting my nails and am dreadfully bored."

"Good. Do you want to come to come to work?" Bonnie waited hoping that Rebekah would accept the invite.

Rebekah figured it was better than being in this God awful house. "I'll be there soon."

Bonnie smiled at the guys. "Rebekah, will be here soon."

When Rebekah arrived she had a bottle of champagne. They all sat down with a glass. "Let's play a game. It's called Truth. What you do is whenever you don't want to answer a question you take a drink." Rebekah was quite satisfied with the idea of the game. She did not inform the group that she had brought an extra five bottles.

Each of them took a cup and Rebekah decided that since she came up with the game that she would start. "Matt, do you like me?"

Matt smiled at Rebekah, "Sure, I do."

Rebekah shook her head, "I meant -," she was cut off by Kol shaking his finger.

"No, sister. One question at a time."

Matt turned to Kol, "Why do you enjoying torturing people?"

Kol grinned, "Why not? My philosophy is that I do not like to be bored. So, I do anything I feel will make the boredom a little less."

Kol turned to Bonnie. "How badly do you want to jump my bones?"

Bonnie grabbed her cup and gulped some champagne. "Rebekah, are you going to try to kill any of my friends?"

Rebekah thought about her answer. "Not if they do not try to kill me first."

Rebekah turned to Matt. "Do you want to date me?"

"Yes," Matt said with hesitating.

"Bonnie, which of the Originals is your least favorite?"

"Hands down, Klaus." Bonnie said.

Rebekah stared down her nose at the witch. "Why?"

Kol groaned, "Wait your turn, Bekah."

Bonnie stared at Rebekah, "Why is your family here?"

Rebekah's lips quirked and she slowly took her cup and brought it to her lips. She looked Bonnie directly in the eye before she took a healthy sip of her champagne. "Kol, if you were to marry one of our brothers which one would it be, Finn, Elijah or Nik?"

At that moment Kol's dog woke up and climbed on top of the table. The puppy walked over to Rebekah climbed into her lap. Rebekah stroked the little dog smirking at her brother as he narrowed his eyes at her.

"Well, Finn is out because he's dull. Then there is Nik. He's bloody boring as well most of the time. Unless of course we could have Miss Forbes over on the weekends. You know shared property and all that. But, no, I think I would have to marry Elijah. He's just so darn dependable and I know he would offer me a secure future. Now, Bonnie what is your favorite sexual position?"

Bonnie grabbed her drink and began to down the contents. "Matt, when was the last time you kissed Elena?"

Matt sighed, "Last Fall. We went to a dance together and then I kissed her."

Kol grinned as Rebekah whose smile had turned upside down. Matt asked Kol, "Why do you hit on every woman who you meet?"

Kol smiled, "Because I figure the odds are that nine out of ten women will end up in my bed." He looked pointedly at Bonnie. "My little Witchy, when will you admit you desperately want me to kiss you again?"

"Never," Bonnie stated. "Matt, who is better in bed? Elena or Caroline?"

Matt choked on the air that he had just inhaled. "Wow, Bonnie how much champagne have you had?"

Kol wagged his finger at Matt. "Oh, no, you don't. Answer the question or drink up."

Matt unhappily stared at his drink. He did not want to drink in front the Originals because he was afraid of what they would do to him. "Caroline."

Kol fell out of his chair laughing. "I can't wait to tell Nik that his woman is so well trained."

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Rebekah, why do you like me?" Her gaze snapped over Matt.

"Because you are not a vampire, or a werewolf or some other supernatural nonsense. You make me feel like a human." Rebekah's cheeks flushed slightly.

Kol began to sing, "You make me feel, You make me feel, You make me feel like a natural woman."

Rebekah threw her empty champagne cup at Kol's head and they all laughed. The night concluded with going outside and toilet papering the building, the trees, the trash area and any other space they could find. They drank the rest of the champagne and Kol produced bottles of spray paint. Where they came from no one knew. Each member of the group took a can and picked a section.

Rebekah wrote on hers R+M Forever. She added happy faces, hearts and stars.

Kol began to create a very detailed depiction of what he saw Klaus and Caroline doing that morning. He included a picture with as many details as he could remember.

Matt began to write what he thought of Klaus and Damon. Klaus Mikaelson and Damon Salvatore suck in bed. They have diseases that you cannot even spell without a dictionary. They are evil, psycho vampires.

Bonnie smiled happily after she finished applying the last parts of an invisibility spell.

As each of the members walked away happily they did not notice that the store shimmered out of sight.

**Thank you asixua for being 50****th**** reviewer. As well as my guest reviewer for the overall compliment of my combined stories and for being my 51****st**** reviewer. Now, for the 52****nd****, 53****rd**** … Happiness = reviews. Along with favs and follows. **

**Love,**

**LL**


	20. Chapter 20

**Hello Readers it's Thursday so it's time for 'Amp Burger. **

Chapter 20: When the Sun Comes Up

Klaus had taken Caroline down to the basement of the Mikaelson mansion. Caroline's breathing had increased as they descended the stairs. Elijah had come down with them. He knew how hard the transition was now. Klaus had had adjustments made to the cell that Caroline would be staying the night in. He had a mattress brought down and had the floor carpeted. The walls were now padded because he feared that she would hurt herself. He had the cuffs padded so they would not hurt Caroline's wrists and ankles.

Caroline smiled weakly. She knew that Klaus had tried his best. Elijah looked at his watch. "It's time, Klaus." Klaus stared at the floor. He couldn't bring himself to begin to shackle Caroline. Elijah stepped forward and Caroline held out her wrists. Elijah looked down at the girl before him. She was braver than he had been. The cuffs were placed over her wrists and then her ankles. "I'm sorry," Elijah said.

Caroline nodded, "It isn't your fault."

They all looked up when Tyler appeared on the stairs. "What you doing here?" Klaus demanded.

Tyler hesitated looking at the enraged Original. "I don't have anywhere else to go," the boy said quietly.

Caroline turned to her boyfriend. "Klaus, there are other shackles. You can put him in here with me."

Klaus turned around staring at Caroline with a look of incomprehension. "No. No, Caroline. I will not have that boy in this room with you all night."

Elijah looked at Tyler. "Niklaus -," Klaus put up a hand.

"No, Elijah. No, I will not accept this." Klaus was shaking his head furiously. There was just no way in hell he would allow the Lockwood boy to be alone with Caroline all night. There was something between the two and he did not want to test the theory by allowing them to stay together. He looked at Caroline who was sobbing.

Tyler walked down the stairs and headed toward the girl. Klaus stepped in front of the boy, who glared at him. Klaus just sneered at him. "Klaus," Caroline begged. Klaus kept staring at Tyler, who just glared back. After listening to Caroline's whimpering sobs for too long Klaus growled and stepped aside.

Tyler moved quickly and gathered Caroline in his arms. "Shhh…," Tyler stroked her hair as she sobbed into his shoulder. "Caroline," Tyler pulled back and stared at Caroline. "We will be fine. Do you hear me?" Caroline nodded.

Klaus stared at the floor. He turned to Elijah, "Help them," was all he said before he disappeared up the stairs. There was no way that he was going to sit back and watch Caroline with Tyler. He felt like someone was ripping his heart out. Klaus decided to go out and hunt. He desperately needed to kill something or someone. He really did not care which. He needed a release, anything, that would prevent him from going back down and pulling the Lock boy's guts out.

As much as Klaus wanted to be with Caroline, she wanted someone else, so, he would give her this time. In the meantime he would think about how to move the time line up on the sacrifice. Soon, things would be very different. He would do it tonight if he was prepared but it would seem that he would be spending another month, like this trapped. The best part of last night had been being in wolf form even if he was stuck in Caroline's body.

The last thing Klaus wanted was to go on another rampage and kill another group of blonde women. Although, he could go for some brown haired teenage boys about now. His problems seemed to be piling up. He still needed to convince Caroline that it was necessary to sacrifice Elena. It was for the greater good, really. She would come to understand in time. In the beginning she would be furious. He had not forgotten that she attempted to compel him not to hurt Elena. The minute he was back in his own body the compulsion had ceased to work.

Then there were the Salvatores. That idiot, Damon, truly seemed to believe that Klaus would fall for a trap. There was no way that he could be that naïve after a thousand years of walking the earth. Maybe, when he was still human that would have worked. Not now, though, Klaus was going to find a way to get revenge on the two fools. There was a time when he was genuinely fond of Stefan but even Stefan's feigned innocence was grating on Klaus' nerves.

Klaus tried to not think about what time it was. He would not return until the morning when Caroline was back in her human form. She would have to transition downstairs while Klaus waited upstairs in what he had begun to think of as their bedroom since the events of this morning. He would not go down there to see the girl he loved. The possibility that in her wolf state that she would… He shook his head. Thoughts were circling his consciousness. Thoughts that would only cause more problems.

Meanwhile, Caroline was in the Mikaelson basement. She had calmed down visibly since Klaus had run out. Tyler was now cuffed beside her and Elijah was talking them through what he had gone through for the past two nights. After some time they began to talk about other things. Elijah discussed with the two young people his travels throughout the world. It kept their minds off the pain before the pangs became too much. Elijah knew there would be a point that he would have to leave the two. Although, if either of them bit him he would not die, it would still hurt him.

Caroline was shaking as her bones began to break. She gritted her teeth thinking of the time when she was nine and she fell out of a tree. Her arm had broken in two places. She had also fractured her ankle. This was so much worse and all she wanted was the strongest pain relievers that anyone had ever created. Now, she felt something trying to push out her gums. 'Oh, fangs,' she thought, running her tongue over the protruding teeth. Another spasm hit and she felt like she was on fire. She could hear Tyler howling in pain beside her but she couldn't do anything to help him.

"I want Klaus," Caroline screamed. She kept screaming his name, until her voice was hoarse, hoping he would hear her. But he never came and she curled up in a ball, sobbing. She heard Elijah dialing and redialing Klaus' cell. Each time he heard a busy signal and cursed. Caroline wondered why he wasn't coming. 'Didn't he want to be with her when she was going through this hell?'

Rebekah came down with a chair and her newest friend, one of the tranquilizer guns. She had yet to name it but she would when she thought of the right name. She watched as her brother stood between two humans transitioning. Elijah may be in the mood to pretend that he was at the local petting zoo but Rebekah intended on making sure that these two stayed where they belonged for the night. Nik might be upset if she shot his precious Caroline but that did not concern Rebekah. What concerned her was making sure she was not bitten.

Come to think of it, where was Nik? Shouldn't he be here holding his princess while she snapped her jaws at him? The idea of Caroline biting Nik was quite amusing to Rebekah and she snickered. Elijah turned to her, eyebrow cocked. "Something amusing, Rebekah?"

Rebekah just gave him a bland look. "Where is Nik? Doesn't he want to see what he caused his little friend to become?"

Elijah frowned, "I have called him several times. He seems to have turned off his phone."

Rebekah groaned, "That is rich. He gets her bitten and now he runs off. That would be typical Nik if you ask me. And you say that Kol and I are the irresponsible ones."

"Rebekah, you are not making things easier," Elijah stared at the two young people, who had almost completed their transitions.

"How is it my job to make things easier?" Rebekah demanded, standing up. Elijah was about to respond when the Lockwood wolf batted at Elijah's thigh, nearly knocking him to the ground. Rebekah aimed her gun and fired twice. Tyler, the wolf boy, went down. Rebekah then turned to Caroline.

Elijah stepped in front of the girl wolf. "Is that really necessary?"

"Yes," Rebekah replied. "Now, move or you can spend the night with them."

Elijah reluctantly moved and Rebekah unloaded two more tranquilizers into Caroline. Elijah dragged the mattress over and placed the two wolves on top. He was sure that Niklaus would not be thrilled if he saw this arrangement but Elijah had spent several days in the Lockwood boy's body and now felt a strange bond with the teenager.

Elijah and Rebekah decided to go into the living and have a drink. Elijah had found a fine red wine from the seventeenth century. He swirled his glass before taking a sip. "Rebekah, what do you think of Niklaus' desire to break the curse?"

Rebekah rolled her eyes staring up at the ceiling before she stared at her older brother, her lips pursed. "I think that Nik must be mad to want to run around on all fours. And I don't even want to think about the idea of him shedding on the carpet." She shuddered and then had an image of Nik getting ahold of her shoe collection. She growled seeing little bits of high heel and Italian craftsmanship strewn across the floor of her bedroom. A good shoe was like a fine piece of art and should not be tampered with in Rebekah's opinion.

"So, you would agree that Niklaus mustn't release his werewolf side." Elijah attempted to keep Rebekah's mind on topic.

Rebekah nodded, thinking of her shoes. "But how would we stop him?"

Elijah thought about this, "I suspect that the Salvatores are not faithful to Niklaus. We can use this to our advantage. Then there is Miss Gilbert and Miss Bennett. I would assume that if Miss Gilbert were made aware of our brother's plans for her that she would help us. Then there is Miss Bennett, who I do not believe is truly fond of Niklaus. I do believe it would not take much to convince Tyler Lockwood or the Donavon boy to help. We also have Kol to consider. I am not sure which side Kol will be on. Perhaps the Bennett witch can convince him to work with us?"

"The problem is Caroline. She will follow Nik."

Elijah thought about this. "No, I think if she knew of his true plans she would not follow him blindly."

"She trusts him, Elijah. I think she may even be in love with him." Rebekah held her glass of wine tightly.

Elijah frowned, "She may love our brother but she is kind and it would destroy her if she stood by while Niklaus killed one of her friends."

"I think you think more highly of Caroline than you should, Elijah. I have spent far more time with Caroline and she has a cruel streak. She is a lot more like our brother than any of her friends seem to see." Rebekah was adamant that Caroline was not as angelic as Elijah seemed to think.

"I am not saying that the girl is a saint. She is a human after all. They have their flaws as do we. I simply do not believe that she will allow her friends to go into battle without helping."

Rebekah sat forward, her eyes blazing. "And if you're wrong. Then what will you do, brother?"

Elijah sat back, his eyes going cold. "If she turns on us, I will take care of the girl myself."

Rebekah sat back on the sofa, her lips moving upward. She was satisfied with the outcome of this conversation. She knew in the end that Caroline would choose Nik forsaking all others and would sign her own death notice. She brought her glass of wine to her lips and took a deep sip.

Downstairs Tyler and Caroline slept peacefully waiting for dawn.

Klaus sat in the woods on a fallen tree staring at the moon, waiting for his night, when its light would shine down on him. He sat there until the first rays of the sun began to glow in the sky and made his way home to his family.

**Thank you asixua and Lootgmagoot for your reviews. I hope whoever is reading this enjoyed the chapter. Review, fav, follow. **


	21. Chapter 21

**Hello readers. This is one of the fun and light chapters leading up to the Sacrifice. I know I keep talking about it but I'm really excited and I hope you like it as well as this chapter. **** Enjoy!**

Chapter 21: The Morning After

Caroline Forbes yawned and rolled over into a warm, naked body. She yawned again and curled up against the form next to her. Lazily opening her eyes to see her sleeping companion, Caroline yelped and jumped backward. "Good, you're awake." Caroline turned her head in the direction of where the voice had come from. Elijah was standing at the bottom of the staircase holding a pink, satin robe. Caroline got up carefully trying not to disturb Tyler.

Elijah kept his gaze averted while Caroline slid her arms through the sleeves. He held out a small bag. Caroline peeked inside and found a brand new pair of underwear. "Thank you," she said quietly. Elijah turned around while Caroline pulled the panties on. When she was done he turned back to her. "Caroline, there are things we need to discuss. However, I do not believe that this is the time or the place. So, may I escort you upstairs? I'm sure that you would like to take a warm shower and if you would like to eat, I have prepared breakfast."

Without turning, Elijah addressed Tyler, who was waking up. "Mr. Lockwood you may join us if you would like to. There is a bathroom on the first floor. I can direct you to it while Miss Forbes makes herself presentable." Tyler nodded and grabbed the black robe and boxers which were laid out on the mattress next to him.

The three went up the stairs and spilt off from each other. Tyler and Elijah went down one side to find the bathroom and Caroline headed toward the staircase. Caroline was surprised when she found Klaus sitting in a chair by the window with his sketch pad in his lap and his feet on his desk. She quietly went to the closet and pulled out a work shirt and pair of pants. Klaus had had some things brought into the home specifically for Caroline yesterday.

"Where did you go last night?" Caroline hated that her voice was trembling when she asked this question.

"I thought you needed some privacy. So, I went hunting." Klaus continued to work on his sketch. He refused to look at Caroline. He did not want to see the guilty look on her face. There was no way that nothing happened between her and the Lockwood boy last night. Klaus, himself, could not have endured being near her and not giving into his desire for her.

Caroline's lower lip wobbled. She just did not know what she did wrong. They seemed to be so happy yesterday and now he was acting like she ate his pet rabbit. 'Seriously, did I have to fall for Mr. Mood Swing?' Caroline thought as she walked toward the bathroom.

"Caroline," Klaus called. She stopped and turned around to face him. His face held no expression and she froze. This man in front of her was not her Klaus. This man was closed off and distant. This was the other Klaus, the ancient vampire, who had terrorized countless people. This was the monster, who wanted to kill her friend.

The couple stared at each other until Klaus broke the silence, "I'm going to be gone for a week on a bit of business. You'll keep me informed of what happens around here, won't you, love?" Klaus cocked his head to the side, smiling brightly.

There was something about his smile which made Caroline's blood run cold. She smiled, weakly at her boyfriend. "Of course," she replied. "Is there anything else you want me to do for you?"

Klaus had already turned from her. "No, sweetheart. Now, go and have yourself a nice bath. I'm going to go downstairs and inform Elijah of my departure."

Caroline went into the bathroom and Klaus put the finishing touches on his sketch. The work was not his usual style but it suited his plans. When he was done he placed the pad in a drawer and locked it. Inside the drawer was a sketch of Caroline. She had a delicate tiara on her head. Her long blonde locks were swept off her shoulders and locks escaped, falling down her back. She wore an ice blue almost white gown which touched her feet. She was holding a bouquet of blood, red roses. Her eyes glowed in the picture and Klaus was beside her in a black suit. They were in a field and the only people present were his family and a witch who was binding them together.

Behind the sketch of Klaus' vision of their nuptials was a vision of the night he would attain his greatest goal and would become his true Hybrid self. Before that sketch was another of the doppelgänger in his arms, her blood drained from her body. Caroline was there in that sketch as well. She would help him. All he had to do was retrieve the moonstone from Katerina and then everything would be moving along nicely.

Klaus ran down the stairs and came into the dining room. Elijah was having a discussion with the Lockwood boy on the ethics of superheroes. At any other time this type of discussion might amuse him - to see his older brother discussing something other than the classic works of literature was amusing. However, Klaus needed to get away from the Lockwood boy before he killed him right then and there.

"Elijah," Klaus stood in the doorway staring at the table with a sober expression. "I need to talk to you for a moment."

Elijah nodded and stood. The two walked into the living room together. Klaus kept his hands behind his back. "Elijah, I'm going to have a bit of business I need to attend to out of state. You will keep the business running and keep an eye of Caroline and the others for me won't you?"

"Yes, of course, Niklaus. When should we expect you back?"

Klaus smiled, "I should only be gone for a week. I was thinking that if Kol can take a week, so can I. Actually, you or Bekah should consider doing the same. That way we will all be well rested in a month."

Elijah smiled back at his younger brother. "Yes, you're right. We all need to take a little time off from the day to day stresses."

Klaus was satisfied that things were in order and flashed out of the room. Minutes later Caroline came down. She saw Elijah waiting for her and expected to see Klaus but he was gone. She sighed and followed Elijah down into the dining room. "Whoa, were you expecting the Mystic Falls football team?" Caroline questioned but she was thrilled to see fresh fruit in a bowl, yogurt, three kinds of eggs, including omelets, pancakes, waffles, blueberry muffins, bacon, sausage, Orange juice, Milk, coffee and tea. This was great and Caroline was soon beaming.

Caroline could get used to this. "Did you make all of this?" Caroline directed her question at, Elijah, who shrugged.

"I rarely sleep through the night and I thought you might be hungry in the morning. I really had no idea what to make. So, I went with a little bit of everything." Elijah couldn't help the feeling of pride that washed over him as he watched the two young people begin to dig in.

Caroline was moaning. She pointed at her plate with her fork. "This is so good. I don't think I have ever eaten anything this good before. How did you learn to cook this well?"

Eliajh smiled at the bubbly blonde. "I've been alive for a long time, Caroline. From time to time I would delve into the art of culinary cuisine. I studied in France, Italy and China for a time."

Caroline's eyes brightened even more. "That sounds wonderful. I've never really been anywhere other than Mystic Falls."

"I'm sure that will change with time, Caroline. You are quite young. Soon you will go to college, that experience alone will change the way you see the world. Explore your options, take a trip over seas. I'm sure there are colleges which will allow you to study abroad. All you have to do is keep you mind open to the possibilities the world has to offer."

"Wow," Tyler chuckled. "Colleges should be knocking down your door, dude. All you have to do is make that speech and parents and prospective students would be running into an admissions office."

Elijah laughed, "I will keep that in mind."

They were silent for a while as they ate. Elijah decided that it was time to get to business. "Caroline, I have noticed that you seem to getting along with my brother, quite well."

Caroline choked on the bite of cheese omelet she had just placed in her mouth. "Yeah," she said quietly. "We were."

Elijah frowned at her wording. "Were?"

"Klaus seemed pissed off this morning and then he told me that he was leaving." Caroline glared at her omelet like it had come between the couple. She then viciously stabbed it with her fork.

"Hey, Care, what did those eggs ever do to you?" Tyler joked. He had an amused expression on his face. The idea that Caroline and Klaus were not getting along did not bother him. He reached across the table and piled some more pancakes, a couple pieces of bacon and sausage and fruit onto his plate.

"Well, Ty, when you find a girlfriend you can hold onto for more than five minutes I will be sure to rub it in your face the minute you begin fighting." Caroline glared at Tyler, who was sitting next to her.

"That's not how I meant it." Tyler was confused. So, Klaus starts treating Caroline like crap and now he was at fault. In what universe did that make sense? He shook his head staring at his food.

Elijah cleared his throat and his two companions looked up. "I am truly sorry that you and Niklaus are having a problem but I am sure that it will pass." Caroline looked at him her lower lip sliding between her teeth as her hope that this was true became obvious. "My brother is prone to fits of temper but they rarely last too long."

"Sounds like someone I know," Tyler muttered and Caroline kicked him in the shin beneath the table. "Seriously, Care?" He leaned down to rub the spot.

"Seriously, try to curb your happy," Caroline elbowed Tyler in the ribs.

"That is it," Tyler got up, grabbing his plate, he went around the table to sit beside the older man.

Elijah watched this display carefully. He would need to figure out how to convince the youths in the group he wanted to assemble to keep their emotions in check. The way they were behaving at the moment would be destructive. If they were to fight Niklaus everyone would need to be calm and think rationally or this would never work.

Elijah began to speak, "As I was saying earlier, Caroline, my brother seems to be fond of you. For this reason you need to know more about him. Things that he has probably not been forthcoming about. Things that you need to know before this relationship proceeds further."

Caroline looked at Tyler, who was chewing his pancakes slowly and concentrating on his cup of coffee. She turned her gaze to Elijah. "What do I need to know?"

Elijah linked his fingers together underneath his chin, contemplating what to tell the girl. "Niklaus is a very dangerous man. If he were to trigger his werewolf side he would be the most dangerous creature on this planet. As I have said he is prone to fits of temper and if he were to become indestructible I am afraid of what that kind of power could do to Niklaus. Do not misunderstand what I am trying to say here. I love my brother but he is …" Elijah trailed off thinking of the right adjective.

"Crazy," Tyler offered and Caroline kicked him again. "God damn it, Caroline stop kicking me." Tyler yelled his face flushing.

"Why don't you make me?" Caroline snapped.

Tyler was beginning to lose his temper and threw his coffee cup in Caroline's direction.

Caroline ducked under the table. Her head popped up seconds later. There was a grin on her face. "Missed me," she taunted. Tyler grabbed a pancake and threw that. It smacked her shoulder and she scoffed. Soon there was food all over the two of them, with remnants piling onto Elijah's suit before he excused himself. After Elijah's departure Caroline and Tyler sat at the table like two children, who had been scolded. This did not last long and soon they were chasing each other around the table throwing more food.

Tyler finally caught Caroline and was holding a bottle of maple syrup over her head before she surrendered. They decided to take any leftovers to work and see if Mr. Brown was hungry. He had also had a hard couple of days and it was easy to forget about the humans in their midst with all the supernatural activity.

When they headed into the living room Elijah informed them he was going to go to the store to open and he would see them later. They nodded and said good-bye. Caroline decided that she needed to clean up again. She and Tyler went up to Klaus' room and Tyler sat on the toilet while they discussed what Elijah had told them. "That was weird, huh?" Tyler asked.

"Yeah," Caroline was scrubbing waffle and strawberry out of her hair. "I don't know what to think. I mean, I want to trust Klaus, but Elijah is his brother and he's known Klaus for a really long time. Plus Klaus has not exactly been a hundred percent honest with me."

Tyler looked at her outline behind the shower curtain and sighed. "I think we need to be careful with the whole family. There's just something off about all of them. Not to mention they're dangerous, Care. To be frank, I hate that you're involved with Klaus. Why couldn't you date a nice, normal guy?"

Caroline scoffed, "I did date nice and normal. Matt, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember."

"And look at how well that turned out," Caroline looked at the assortment of body scrubs that Klaus had purchased for her. She decided to try the peppermint. She loved Christmas, so why not?

"I wasn't really thinking about Matt…" Tyler let the words slip out before he had fully processed what he was saying.

"Hmm…," Caroline was enjoying the smell of her body scrub and not concentrating on Tyler's comment. Then she realized what he had just said. She grabbed the edge of the curtain and pushed it back so that she could look down at Tyler, who now had his face buried in his hands. She placed a wet hand on his back. "Tyler," she said, softly. "Tyler, come on look at me."

Tyler moaned and then sat back to look at Caroline. "Tyler, you know that I love you. But this thing with Klaus, it's just happened. I didn't expect to meet someone like him but then there he was. This isn't a whose the better guy thing. It's not a competition. You don't get me as the prize at the end of the game. I don't want to hurt you, Ty. You have changed so much this past year and we are all so grateful for that…"

Tyler put his arms behind his head. "Well, if Klaus turns out to be evil will you at least consider going out with me?"

Caroline smiled, "Of course. Now, I need to dry off and get dressed." She looked at him expectantly.

Tyler just smiled at his friend. "Don't mind me." To answer that statement Caroline began to splash him until he got up and left.

Soon they had traded spots and Tyler took a shower. "Gee, your boyfriend must like body scrubs because there are a lot in here," he told Caroline. There were at least ten.

"Try the apricot. I want to know how it smells." Caroline replied. She had gone into Rebekah's room and stolen a bottle of nail polish and was in the process of giving herself a manicure. The vampire seemed to have about a hundred bottles of nail polish at her disposal. 'Buffy the vampire won't miss one,' Caroline had thought with a smile. She had found a bottle with contents that was so pale pink it looked white.

"Why don't you just smell it," Tyler held the bottle of body scrub out to Caroline.

"That would defeat the purpose, Tyler. You want to know how something will smell on someone, not how it smells in the bottle."

Tyler sniffed at the scrub and then decided to go with it. When he was done with his shower he allowed Caroline to sniff him and tried to concentrate on other things, rather than, the fact that his blood had begun to circulate toward his lower extremities. He was in love with a girl, who was with someone else. Someone, who would kill without a second thought. However, to be with Caroline in any capacity was enough for Tyler.

He dressed and came downstairs with Caroline. She drove them to work or where work should be. They found Elijah sitting on the curb staring at the empty space where the restaurant used to be. "Umm… where did the building go?" Caroline looked at the place where 'Amp Burger was supposed to be.

Elijah just stared at the empty space. "I have no idea."

**Thank you redbudrose and my guest for the reviews. **

**Hello my guest reviewer: I hope you enjoyed the Klaroline reunion. They have their ups and downs. That will continue through the rest of this story and the sequel. However, they will get their happy ending at the end of the sequel. I have an idea of a story which will pick up where that one leaves off. **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. We are moving toward the end. I have to say it has been a long journey and I've really enjoyed it. Thank you to everyone who has stayed with me and continued reading this story from my crazed mind. If you are new to this story I show you the same affection. We still have a lot of ground to cover before we wrap this story up and move locations. **

**Love,**

**LL**


	22. Chapter 22

**Hello my lovely readers. There are two more chapters before the Sacrifice. Do you just want to say shut up and post it already? Sorry, I'm just so excited about the fact that we're almost at the end. There are thirty-five chapters and a short epilogue. So, enjoy the chapter! Please, if you have a couple of minutes leave a review, fav or follow because it makes me happy and gives me motivation to work on the sequel. **

Chapter 22: The Case of the Disappearing Burger Joint

Kol Mikaelson was happy. Although, everyone had split up last night he had changed his mind and tracked Bonnie down. They were currently asleep on a couch in the Salvatore Boarding House. Bonnie and Kol's thing had turned out to be hotels. Unfortunately, there did not seem to be a plethora of those in Mystic Falls. So, they had decided to try their luck at the Boarding House. Luckily for them, Damon and Stefan had already gone to bed. Bonnie insisted that they sleep on the couch in the living room. Kol had wanted to find a bedroom but he accepted the arrangement as long as they could snuggle.

Kol's phone rang in his back pocket and Bonnie pulled it out. "Someone's frisky this morning," Kol mumbled into Bonnie's hair.

Bonnie ignored him, "Hello, Kol's phone." She listened to Elijah. "Kol, it's for you." She handed Kol the phone and placed her face back on his shoulder and began to snore.

"Kol, what have you done this time?" Elijah asked. His irritation was obvious.

Kol smiled, "Good morning, to you, too, 'Lijah. I can see you are in a wonderful mood."

"Kol, the store is missing."

Kol sat up. Elijah never made jokes. "What do you mean what did I do with the store? I closed it last night. Is this about the pool I ordered?"

Elijah stared at Caroline, who was sitting next to him. "He bought a pool?" Caroline asked, trying to keep the excitement out of her voice. She had not been able to go near a pool since work started.

Kol smiled, "Hello, Caroline," he called. "Yes, I bought a pool darling, and I would love to see you and my little witchy in your bikinis."

Caroline turned to Tyler, "Kol bought a pool." Tyler grinned. 'That was cool,' he thought.

"Is that Bonnie snoring?" Caroline asked. Elijah had given up and put the phone on speaker.

"Yes," Kol replied. And it is adorable. Hold on. I'm sending you a picture."

Caroline and Tyler began to laugh. This caused Bonnie to yawn and look up at Kol. "What's so funny?" she asked sleepily.

"Nothing, Sweety, go back to sleep," Kol kissed her on the head. "Caroline, what is that Elijah keeps going on about my restaurant?"

Caroline answered, "The store is missing. Like, it might be there but you can't see it. Tyler walked into something a couple of times and now I think he has some bruises. That's not natural, is it?"

Kol looked at Bonnie. "Bonnie, my dear, did you happen to put a spell on my store?"

"Creepy Vampire face," Bonnie responded. She was dreaming about the work logo and Kol mistook it for her calling him "creepy vampire face."

"That was not very nice," Kol scolded the girl in his arms.

"Neither are you." Bonnie responded.

Elijah laughed, "Yes, Bonnie, you are right about that. However, if you happen to be awake, could you tell us what spell you cast on the store?"

"Stefan," Bonnie mumbled.

Elijah looked confusedly at the phone. "Stefan Salvatore is the key to fixing this?"

"Mmm… Stefan," Bonnie moaned.

Kol jerked, beneath her, "What?"

"Oh God, Stefan. Don't stop." Much to Kol's horror Bonnie was now clutching his shirt and her legs had tightened around his waist. He was not positive that that could not be happening…

"Uhhhhh," Bonnie groaned and then collapsed on top of Kol.

Kol angled his head to the side when he heard someone laughing behind him. Craning his neck to see Kol found Damon looking at him with a huge grin. Elena was standing behind Damon. She was dressed in one of Damon's shirts and had her hand over her mouth to prevent Kol from seeing the grin plastered on her face.

"OMG," Caroline's voice could be heard on the loud speaker as Tyler collapsed into a fit of laughter.

At that moment Stefan decided to make an appearance. He sleepily ran a hand through his hair which was sticking out every which way. "Hey, what's going on?" Stefan asked on his way to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. Everyone on the either side of the phone, except for Kol and the sleeping Bonnie, began to laugh.

Damon grinned. He always liked the messenger of good news. "Bonnie was getting a little something something in her dreams and you, my little brother, were the guest star."

Stefan nearly spit the coffee he had just begun to sip into Kol's face.

"Don't even think about it, Salvatore." Kol warned.

"Think about what?" Rebekah asked. No one had noticed her descend the stairs. She had a sheet wrapped around her.

"Strumpet," Kol yelled. "Thy name is sister." He desperately wanted the attention of his witch. Rebekah just walked by him and slapped him upside the head. She took Stefan's coffee cup. They smiled at each other before Rebekah took a seat in a chair to face her brother.

Damon looked around the group, "Who wants breakfast?" he called. Everyone raised their hands. "Well, Stefan, what are you waiting for? You have a living room full of hungry people." Damon shoved Kol's feet off the couch and sat down, pulling Elena down on to his lap.

"Hey," Caroline called over the phone. "We have food with us."

Damon looked at the phone. "Enough, for one, two, three, four, five, six hungry people, Blondie?"

"Yeah, and don't call me that."

"Okay, Buffy," Damon replied. He wiggled his eyebrows at the group.

"Nope, that's Rebekah's name. Actually, it's Vampire Buffy."

Kol protested, "No, darlings, her real name is Strumpet. Sometimes it's Miss Strumpet."

Rebekah threw a pillow and hit Bonnie in the head. The witch woke up and rubbed her head, frowning at all the people around her.

"My head hurts," Bonnie moaned.

"You didn't sound like you were in pain earlier." Damon responded, laughing at the girl's baffled expression. This was just too much fun.

"What about the spell?" Elijah called.

"What spell?" Bonnie asked.

"Do you have pancakes and who is Buffy?" Rebekah asked.

"We could call you Bunny but then Stefan might try to eat you. No, pun intended." Damon informed Caroline.

"Are there any muffins?" Stefan inquired.

"That's a good name, too." Damon said. So, which one of you wants to be Blondie and which one of you wants to be Muffin."

"Oh," Bonnie exclaimed. "What about fruit?"

Damon frowned in concentration. "Yeah, fruit. Let's see. We could call Rebekah Lemon because she's sour and we could call Caroline Melon because of her rack." Elena punched him in the arm. "Ow, sorry. 'Lena, you know I like yours best."

Elena laughed and asked, "Are there any waffles?"

"Dear God, people." Elijah yelled. "Bonnie, you need to come here and take the invisibility spell off the store. It is nearly ten o'clock."

"Well, why didn't you say that in the first place instead of getting your panties in a twist?" Damon demanded. "Okay, people let's go. We have a store to ruin and customers to terrorize. The last one to get to the showers has to take one with me." He dashed upstairs with Rebekah and Stefan racing after him.

Bonnie was sluggish from her hangover and was the last to get up the stairs. She saw a blurry vision of Damon, who came over and put an arm around Bonnie's shoulders. "Well, Bonnie. I guess you get the honor of taking a shower with me." Bonnie glared at Damon but before she could respond Damon fell to his knees, groaning. Kol stood over him beaming with pride.

"What the hell, man?" Damon rubbed the back of his head, eyeing the baseball bat in Kol's hands. "Where did you get that from?"

"Stefan's room," Kol replied, swinging at the air above Damon's head.

Damon was confused by the response. "Stefan doesn't play baseball."

Kol chuckled, "You are right there, darling. However, I found that it would be helpful to place baseball bats in your home, the Gilbert's, the Forbes', the Donovan's, and the Lockwood's. You never know when you will need to be prepared. Today, would be a good example."

Stefan had just come out of the shower. Rebekah ran into the bathroom slamming the door after his exit. "Oh, well now we will be waiting all day while the Strumpet uses all the hot water." Kol informed everyone cheerfully.

Stefan had a towel wrapped tightly around his waist and Bonnie suddenly had a flashback from her dream. "Oh," she said blushing.

Damon began to chuckle and Kol lifted his baseball bat high in the air. "Umm… Kol, could I take a look at the bat?" Stefan asked.

Kol sneered at the younger Salvatore. "Yes, as soon I get done pulverizing the meat here in front of me."

Stefan shrugged, "Alright, but it seems like a really nice bat. I had a friend who used to play. You might have heard of him, Babe Ruth."

Kol stopped what he was doing, gaping at Stefan. "You knew my favorite player of all time." He handed over the bat to Stefan. Stefan took it and then broke it over his knee. He threw the pieces out the window, shattering the glass.

"Yeah," Stefan said. "He was a great guy. Wasn't too big on vampires. I guess sometimes he would have a vamp fan who would want to feed on him. Apparently, it made him sluggish."

Damon got up off the floor. "Why is everyone taking showers in my bathroom?"

"Because you have the better bathroom," Rebekah called. "And Kol, don't call me Strumpet or I will have Nik dagger you."

"Thank you, Lemon," Damon called back.

"Screw you, Salvatore," Rebekah shouted.

"That is not a nice way to talk to Stefan," Damon replied. "Stefan, I do not believe that you satisfied the customer. Now, go back in there and show her what Salvatore men are made of." With that said Damon grabbed Stefan's towel and shoved him into the bathroom. He then moved in front of the door so that Stefan could not leave. "I don't hear the sounds of progress or that weird cougar noise Rebekah makes during sex."

Kol laughed and joined Damon in front of the door. "For all the men that Bekah has been with you would think she would be a little less uptight or maybe that isn't her thing. Elena, dear, would you fancy popping in there and checking?"

Damon shook his head. "Nope, Elena isn't experienced enough for an Original. Let's go get Caroline. I think the air is ripe with sexual tension between those two."

Kol nodded, "I like how you think Salvatore. Now, if I could get over hating your guts we can become good friends. The best part will be when Nik finds out and daggers Bekah instead of me."

Elena and Bonnie looked at each other and decided to use Stefan's shower. At this rate they would be waiting until noon. While Bonnie was waiting for Elena, Bonnie called Elijah. "Hey, I'm sorry about putting up an invisibility spell. As soon as we get there I will take it back down."

Elijah sighed, "It's really not the invisibility spell that is bothering me. It is the fact that this store was supposed to be about showing Kol how to behave as an adult should."

Bonnie frowned, "Well, maybe the thing is that this is who Kol is. Maybe, you just have to accept him."

"Yes, that may be true, Miss Bennett, but can you accept being with someone who acts as if they are a five-year old on a sugar high?"

"I haven't really been thinking about the long term." Bonnie sat down on Stefan's bed.

"You might want to begin doing that now." Elijah ended the call and Bonnie laid down staring at the ceiling. Could she be with a thousand year old vampire with an affinity for violence and baseball bats? Kol was fun and nice looking. He wasn't always crazy. Bonnie just didn't know if the Original could settle down or if he would always be off to the next thing. What if she was just his new toy and he grew tired of her, he would be off to the next amusement?

"Bonnie, my magical vixen, where are you, love?" Kol called from the hallway.

"In here," Bonnie called, her voice muffled from having placed her hands over her face. She felt a pair of hands peel her own off her face.

"Hello, my little witchy," Kol stood over her with a thick white towel tied around his waist. "Come, let us dance." Kol pulled Bonnie up. He grabbed Stefan's iPod. He clicked through the selection. "Boring, boring, boring." He tossed the iPod out Stefan's window, breaking the glass. Kol then searched the room. "Ah, what do we have here?" He grabbed Stefan's guitar. Elena chose that moment to emerge from the bathroom. Kol handed Elena the guitar, "Play us something," he demanded.

"I don't know how to play the guitar," Elena looked at the instrument like it would bite her.

Kol rolled his eyes when Stefan walked in, "You." Kol took the guitar from Elena and handed it to Stefan. "Play us something. It better not be anything from that awful play list of yours," Kol shuddered.

Stefan thought about it. He wanted to play a Barry Manilow song but he figured that Kol would beat him senseless after the first cord. Clay Aikin was out or anyone from American Idol. As well as Josh Groban. He finally settled on Keane and prayed that. Kol didn't find another baseball bat. Stefan began to strum the cords.

I walked across an empty land

I knew the pathway like the back of my hand

I felt the earth beneath my feet

Stefan continued to sing because Kol was not beating him to a bloody pulp.

Oh simple thing, where have you gone?

I'm getting old and I need something to rely on

So tell me when you're gonna let me in

I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin

Bonnie was smiling up at Kol and Damon had come in and put his arms around Elena.

Oh this could be the end of everything

So why don't we go somewhere only we know?

Somewhere only we know

Somewhere only we know

Everyone in the room clapped and cheered. Even Kol grudgingly had to admit it wasn't the worst song on the planet and it seemed to make sense given who he and Bonnie were and the world they shared. So, apparently Stefan was not completely useless after all.

Kol was not one to be out done by an amateur. He held out his hand and gestured for Stefan to give him the guitar. Kol swung the guitar strap over his bare shoulder. He took a seat beside Bonnie. "I heard this song fairly recently. Since I was in a coffin when it was recorded and the musician has not been alive for the last fifty years. Which is a shame ; I think we would have had fun together." Kol turned to Bonnie smiling at her while her eyes widened and her lips curved up waiting for Kol to begin.

"Wise men say that only fools rush in," Kol began leaning toward Bonnie, who giggled. "But I can't help falling in love with you." Kol sang the entire Elvis Presley classic. Stefan took Rebekah's hand and they began to dance. Elena and Damon followed suit. Elena recorded Kol's performance and posted it on her Facebook page. Four million people liked it.

After that they decided to go to work before Elijah had a meltdown and they still hadn't eaten. When they got to the store or the invisible store to be exact, Elijah was fuming "Where have you been?" he asked looking at the group. These were the people he was relying on to help him stop Klaus. He might as well ask a group of trained dolphins or possibly sea otters.

Everyone shrugged and Elena pulled out her phone and logged onto her Facebook page. She held the phone out to Elijah. "That is not an excuse, Miss Gilbert." Elena just shrugged and shoved her phone back in her pocket.

"Gesh," Damon said, nudging Elena. "I think I've seen nuns who were less strict."

Elijah glared at Damon, then turned to Bonnie. "Miss Bennett, the spell, please."

At that moment a family came walking over to the group. The mother looked frazzeled. "Wasn't there a restaurant here just yesterday," She asked as her three old daughter tugged at her pants leg.

"I want a toy, Mommy," the little girl said.

"Rug rats," Damon muttered.

Elena nudged him, "She's cute."

"Yeah, like a snack, before the main course," Elena looked up at her boyfriend, horrified.

Damon put his hands up, "I was just kidding." When Elena turned around, Kol was smirking over Bonnie's head. Damon showed him his middle finger. Kol began to laugh and the stressed out mother glared at the two.

The little girl began to squirm. "I need to pee," she whined.

Elijah bent down, "You see that lady, right there." He gestured at Bonnie. "She is about to do a magic trick. Would you like to see that?" The girl nodded and stopped squirming.

Bonnie began the spell and soon the restaurant appeared. The mother was shocked, "Are you a magician? Because they should advertise your talents. You could get a lot of business that way."

Kol placed a hand on Bonnie's shoulder. "She's more of a witch and she's not a trained monkey. Now, why don't you go inside before your daughter pees on her leg like a dog rather than ask questions which aren't your business."

The woman's jaw dropped open as Kol and Bonnie went inside. Everyone else went in after. "Don't mind him, he is mentally deficient," Rebekah told the woman.

"Do you know him well?" the woman asked.

"Unfortunately, he claims to be my brother but I believe he is really a creature that crawled inside my mother while she was pregnant and ate my real brother." Rebekah smiled at the woman as she ushered her and her now traumatized spawn inside the store.

Things seemed to be working well until another family walked in. The father came up to the counter. "I want to speak to you manager, right now." The man was red in the face and Elena hurried off to find Elijah.

Elijah hurried over to the counter wondering what Damon, worse yet Kol, had done to the man. "Is there a problem, sir?"

"What kind of store are you running here?" The man now looked like a tomato ready to splatter.

"If you could tell me what the problem is I will correct it immediately." Elijah informed the customer in his most professional manner.

"Well, why don't you try cleaning the spray paint off the walls?"

Elijah thought about this. He had not taken the time to look at the walls. He had been made aware of the toilet paper by Mr. Brown but not the spray paint. "Rebekah, you are in charge." Elijah called before he went outside. He could hear Kol and Rebekah arguing already but was concentrating on what the customer had seen. When he got to the side of the building opposite the one he spent five hours in front of waiting for Bonnie to arrive he saw a story written in spray paint beside a depiction of two people having intercourse. When he looked harder he realized it was Klaus and Caroline.

"Kol," Elijah bellowed. Soon everyone was out in the parking lot staring at Kol's art work.

"It's lovely, isn't it?" Kol grinned at his older brother, who began to walk toward him. Suddenly, the two Originals disappeared from the parking lot. Rebekah grinned, "Alright, then it's my shift. What are you all staring at? Get back to work?" She stayed back to take pictures of the picture and story. She sent copies to Nik but kept a few for black mail.

**Thank you for the new favs and follows. Thank you redbudrose. I know that there was a part of the last chapter that was difficult. Since I wrote the last chapters about two months ago I can't even remember some of the details. I don't believe that anyone else knows that Caroline knows that Elena is the doppelgänger yet. **

**Love,**

**LL**


	23. Chapter 23

**Quick note: I have a new story which I posted on Saturday called Caroline, the Vampire Slayer. It works within the Buffy myth without simply writing Buffy with Caroline as the central character. I'm also posting a new story called Terrible Love on Saturday. It's a switching lives, not personalities or bodies starring Rebekah, Klaus, Caroline and Damon. There will be many appearances by Bonnie, Kol, Elijah and others. **

**Hello, my lovely readers. It's Thursday. Therefore it must be time for the newest chapter of WtAB. As always I'd love to know what you think as we come closer to the end of this story. There is one more chapter before the sacrifice. This chapter is light compared to the next four. So, be prepared because this story is about to get very dark during the three parter. However, I don't want to worry you all too much this is still a humor fic but its dark humor. Enjoy! **

Chapter 23: Save the Last Dance for Me

Elena Gilbert had never been in love. Yes, she had loved Matt. She had known him forever and used to joke that they would love each other from cradle to grave. This is why when Elena had met Damon she had been knocked off her feet. He was gorgeous. However, his looks were just part of the whole Damon Salvatore package. There was something about him that made her feel safe even though she knew he was a vampire. When he told her she had freaked out.

Damon confessed that he was a vampire two weeks after he and Elena had begun working together. Her initial instinct had been to run from his house screaming but Damon had stopped her. He forced her to sit down on his bed and allow him to explain. They talked most of the night. He told her of how he had been turned, about Katherine, about Stefan and his relationship with his brother. How they had come together to protect her, a girl neither of them knew well but were willing to risk their existences for. He told her about Klaus and what he wanted to do to her.

Finding out that she was a doppelgänger, that the man and woman she had thought to be her parents were not her biological parents, that she was to be sacrificed because some ancient vampire wanted to lift a curse was too much information to ingest in one sitting. They went for a walk around the grounds and she calmed down.

Weeks later they were standing here in this restaurant run by the family of the man, who wanted to kill her. Damon had assured her that they needed to stay. Otherwise, Klaus would become suspicious. As long as they were working for him they could keep an eye on him. Damon came over to Elena. She was shoving cups into their bins with a little more force than was necessary. "Hey, what are you up to?"

"I'm stocking," Elena replied, viciously shoving cups into another slot.

"Are you angry at the cups, 'Lena?" Damon teased. He really wanted the girl to relax. Just because Klaus was not there did not mean that he did not have eyes and ears. He knew that Elijah was in the parking lot forcing Kol to wash off his handiwork. The last time he had seen the Original siblings, Elijah had his hand on the back of Kol's neck and was holding Kol in place as he scrubbed the wall. Damon had leaned out the drive-thru window and waved cheerfully at Kol. "Fuck you, Salvatore," was Kol's response. Elijah had slapped his younger brother in the back of the head with his free hand.

Now, Damon was focused on cheering Elena up. "Hey, Rebekah," Damon popped his head in the office. He found Rebekah and Matt playing poker. Matt was down to his boxers.

"Yes, Damon," Rebekah replied, never looking up from her cards. "What do want?"

"Do you mind if I find some other kind of music? Jazz isn't really great dance music." Rebekah looked up narrowing her eyes. Before she could open her mouth Damon stopped her holding his hands up. "That was not meant to be a dig. It's just I want to cheer Elena up and I thought that a change in music would be good."

Matt looked up, "You could try a country western station. I never could get my feet to move right. When Elena and I were dating. So, you could teach her how to do the Texas two-step."

Rebekah sighed, "Or not."

"How about eighties' classics?" Damon suggested.

"Really?" Rebekah's face became a picture of disdain.

"What would you know about the eighties, Lemon? You were in a box being trundled around by your brother like some sort of luggage he just couldn't part with. I'll have you know the eighties were cool." Damon sat down on the desk.

Rebekah scoffed. "Wasn't that the period the Brat pack were running around?" Matt inquired.

"Bingo," Damon said, placing his legs in Rebekah's lap.

"What the bloody hell is the Brat pack? Were they like the Rat pack, Dean Martin was dreamy. Although, I was also partial to Frank Sinatra." Rebekah asked, shoving Damon's legs off.

"Hey, Melon," Damon called when he spotted Caroline exiting the walk-in.

"What?" Caroline rolled her eyes. 'Damon is a jackass. He and Klaus should compete for the jackass of the year award. I bet they would tie." Caroline said this while crossing her arms over her chest.

"Who were the Rat pack?" Rebekah asked.

"Oh my God, they are like a Hollywood legend." Caroline forgot that she didn't like Damon for a moment in her excitement.

"So, they were like the Rat pack," Rebekah sat back with a satisfied smirk.

"Who's the Rat pack?" Caroline looked confused now.

Damon sighed; this was taking too long and he had a pretty brunette to cheer up. "Rat Pack really old, dead dudes: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Joey Bishop. They were musicians and film stars. Among other things. The Brat Pack were a group of people in their teens and early twenties who made some films that did not entirely suck. Molly Ringwald, Demi Moore, Emilio Estzez, Rob Lowe and some other people I can't keep track of. I think you'd like The Breakfast Club, Bexs. It's about these kids stuck in a high school. Sounds like one of your dreams."

Rebekah's upper lip curled. Matt saw an impending fight and jumped in. "You know, eighties' music might work."

Damon leaped up and switched stations. Michael Jackson's Thriller came on and Matt got up grabbing his clothes "Come on, Rebekah," he called. The group came out from behind the counter. Damon waved for Elena to come with them. They formed a line and made their hands into claws. Damon led the group through the routine. Bonnie had come out to join them and when Kol had returned he jumped into the empty space beside Bonnie. Rebekah pulled Elijah between her and Caroline.

Elijah felt ridiculous at first. When the customers got up and began to dance as well he found that he was smiling. The music changed to Cindy Lauper's Girls Just Want to Have Fun. Rebekah, Elena, Caroline, Bonnie and Kol had climbed on the counter. They were singing along and dancing with each other. Kol grabbed Elena and spun her with one hand while spinning his sister with the other.

The next song was Bryan Adams Summer of 69. Rebekah was now dancing with Matt. "Why would an eighties song be called the Summer of 69?"

Matt answered by spinning them. "I guess the guy was sentimental. Aren't you?"

Rebekah listened to the song before replying.

Oh when I look back now

The summer seemed to last forever

And if I had a choice

Yeah I'd wanna be there forever

Those were the best days of my life

Rebekah smiled placing her head on Matt's shoulder. "I guess eighties music isn't so bad."

Kol searched out for Bonnie when the next song came on.

There is a special kind of magic in the air

When you find another heart that needs to share

Kol pulled close Bonnie to him as the chorus crooned

Baby, come to me, let me put my arms around you

Kol pulled Bonnie closer to Damon and Elena. "This song is great. What's it called, mate?"

Damon raised an eyebrow at the Original. "It's called Baby, Come to Me." Kol nodded and then off he was with Bonnie in his arms.

Caroline was standing awkwardly off to the side like some really horrible school dance in which all your friends had a date but you. She bit her lip frowning, when a hand extended itself to her. "May I have this dance, Miss Forbes?"

Caroline was surprised when she looked up and saw Elijah looking down at her. "Sure," she said. They walked onto the makeshift dance floor as Jackson Browne's Somebody's Baby came on.

Well just look a-look at the girl with the lights

comin' up in her eyes

She's got to be somebody's baby,

She must be somebody's baby

Caroline wondered what Klaus would think if he saw her now in his brother's arms.

She's probably somebody's only light,

Gonna shine tonight

Elijah felt strange holding the girl in his arms. He rarely felt insecure but at this moment he felt like he was lacking something. That the answer might be right in front of him. He frowned. 'That couldn't be right,' he thought.

I try to shut my eyes but I can't get her outta my sight

I know, I'm gonna know her, get over my fright

Caroline noticed that Elijah was breathing. He had her head tucked into his shoulder and his chest was moving slowly and steadily. She looked up at him and his eyes were closed. This was the most relaxed she had ever seen the Original.

Gonna shine tonight, make her mine tonight

When the song finished Elijah opened his eyes and found himself looking into Caroline's. There was a question begging to be answered in her eyes and he forced himself to pull away from the girl. "Thank you," he said. His hand went up to adjust the tie that wasn't there and he silently cursed. "Everyone, I think we should get back to work. And there will a meeting after we close. So, please, if your shift ends before that come back here; there are important things I need to discuss with all of you."

Elijah walked away from Caroline without looking back. She was confused. What the heck was going on with all the guys around her? Was she now some kind of supernatural magnet?

Elena came up to her friend. "Hey, what's up with the hot dancing with the oldest Original?"

"We weren't flirting," Caroline said, absentmindedly playing with her hair.

Elena rolled her eyes, "Come on, Care, there was some definite flirt going on there."

Caroline felt uncomfortable. "It was nothing, Elena. I'm with Klaus."

"Yeah," Elena said, shivering.

"Is that a problem for you?" Caroline's voice had risen several octaves and their friends looked at them.

"No, Care, there isn't a problem."

"Then what? Why is everyone acting like I shouldn't be with Klaus. Okay, so, we had a fight. One stupid fight. It happens to everyone. That doesn't mean you end something or start dating one of your friends or have something going on with his brother. Maybe I would have done those things before but not to Klaus. I would never hurt him like that. Okay, El-en-a," she was practically shouting the last part.

Damon interrupted them. "Hey, ladies. Have either of you seen my brother?"

"Nope," Caroline said popping the P to imitate Damon while she burned holes into her friend's retinas with the power of her anger. Elena just shook her head unhappily.

"Well, if you do see him can you let me now?" Damon didn't like the way the girls were acting but he needed to find Stefan, now. They nodded and he took off for the men's bathroom. Maybe Stefan was in there.

"You're dating the dick of the month," Caroline snapped at Elena folding her arms over her chest.

"Hey, I'm just worried about you, Caroline." Elena attempted to defend herself.

"Well, don't. Because I can take care of myself."

"Yes. And that has been working out so well lately," Elena snapped back.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Elena lost her temper. "It means you are a werewolf because of him and he is planning on killing me so that he can be one too." She had not meant to say the last part out loud but Caroline obviously needed to be reminded.

"Klaus is not going to do that."

"Really? Then where is he, Care? Because he certainly is not here. How do you know he isn't preparing as we speak."

Caroline's lower lip trembled. "He promised me he wouldn't." Tears flooded her eyes and began to stream down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Care. I just want you to be careful." Elena embraced her friend before saying. "We should probably go look for Stefan."

"Yeah," Caroline said wiping away her tears. They headed back behind the counter. They decided to check the freezer because no one had been in there for hours. What they saw made both the girls gasp. There was the man who had come in and screamed about Kol's art project. He was drained of blood and was lying on the floor. On top of the man was a woman and three teenagers, two boys and a girl. They had all been drained.

"Oh," Elena said, her mouth rounding. Caroline was finding it hard not to scream; then they heard something in the corner. They grabbed onto to one another.

"What was that?" Caroline asked, her face had also drained of blood.

Elena put her fingers to her lips. Then they heard it again. Someone was talking to themselves. "I'm sorry. I am so, so, sorry." The voice chanted.

"Stefan," Elena said. She peeked around the corner and saw the vampire sitting on the floor of the freezer, his hair a worse mess than usual and blood on his clothes. He didn't seem to hear her. His concentration was focused on the bodies. "I'm sorry," he gasped.

Elena turned to Caroline, "Get Damon," she ordered.

"What about you?" Caroline looked at the blood on Stefan's uniform and then at Elena.

"I will be fine. Just get Damon. Hurry." Caroline dashed out of the freezer. Elena came over to Stefan and knelt down. "Hey, Stefan. Can you hear me? It's Elena."

Stefan looked at Elena, "I killed those people."

Elena looked at the pile of dead bodies. "I know but Damon's coming and he'll help you."

Stefan shook his head. "I thought I had it under control. But I was wrong, again."

Damon walked into the freezer. He knelt down next to Elena. He reached out and put his hand on his brother's knee. "Hey, Buddy. I'm here now. We will get you through this."

Stefan nodded but he did not look certain. Caroline cleared her throat. "Do you want me to get Elijah?"

Damon shook his head. "No, we'll deal with this on our own. Do you want to help?" Damon looked up at Caroline, his face free of the usual snark.

"Okay." Caroline figured that with the company she had been keeping lately that she might need to learn how to dispose of a body or two.

Damon and Caroline left the freezer looking for boxes. They ran into Kol, who was wondering around aimlessly while Bonnie made sandwiches. "What are you two up to?" Kol smirked at his employees who were trying to think of a cover up story. "We're stocking," Damon replied. "Would you like to help?"

Kol wrinkled his nose. "Why would I want to do that? I am the owner of this establishment. I do not need to do work." However, Kol followed Damon and Caroline around while they looked for boxes. He could tell he was annoying them. That is precisely why he was doing it.

Damon found what they needed. "Hey, Kol I think Bonnie needs some help." Kol turned and headed in his girlfriend's direction. Damon and Carline sighed and hurried back to the freezer. Caroline began to feel sick as Damon picked up the girl and placed her in a box first. The teen boys were next and now it was beginning to look like a strange moving trip. They got the woman into a box but found the man to be the most difficult. He was fairly large.

Elena and Stefan jerked as they watched Damon begin to break the man's bones so that he could fit him into one of the boxes. When Damon was done Kol flung the door open. "Ah, there you are, Darlings. Well, I see that Stefan had a couple of snacks. I wondered where you had gone off to." Kol examined the younger Salvatore. "What's he so glum about?"

Damon glared at Kol, "He doesn't like to kill. I don't get it but that's Stefan for you."

"Well, have you tried turning off his humanity?"

Damon's face twisted in fury. "No, I couldn't and I wouldn't."

"It's good that I'm here then, isn't?" Kol bent down to look into Stefan's eyes. Stefan placed his face on his legs.

Damon tackled Kol, "You are not doing that to my brother." As he and Kol thrashed around on the floor. Damon yelled at Caroline and Elena, "Get Bonnie."

By the time that Bonnie appeared in the doorway Kol had Damon underneath him and he was about to rip his head off. Bonnie wrinkled her face in concentration. Kol was suddenly rolling around on the floor, clutching his head. "Bonnie, stop it, love."

Bonnie stood over him, her chin thrust out, looking down at her boyfriend. "Kol you have to stop hurting people I care about, and really, people in general."

Kol nodded, his face screwed up in pain and annoyance. Bonnie stopped giving him the migraine from hell. "Now, help my friends." Bonnie's tone did not allow for discussion. Kol growled but got to his feet and picked up a box. Damon followed him with another and Caroline with a third. Elijah was sitting in the office filling out paper work when he saw the box parade. He was far too tired to get up and ask for an explanation.

Damon, Kol and Caroline worked together to get their boxes into the trash can. "Rest in Peace." Caroline whispered as they walked back to get the other boxes. Kol picked up the smaller box with the woman inside. Damon and Caroline picked up the other one. They were all glad that Rebekah had left earlier or she would demand to know what they were doing. They got the last boxes into the trash can.

"Caroline, is Bonnie always so judgy?" Kol asked walking beside her.

Caroline smirked, "You haven't seen anything, yet." She left Kol to stand in the parking lot and think that over. She and Damon disappeared inside the store. Kol contemplated his future with someone, who would disagree with every other action he made. It was likely that he would have to change after all and after a thousand years this would not be an easy task.

**I want to thank those of you who have favorited, followed and are still reading this story. It's my first story/baby. Thank you for reviewing Deppie-NtinaBFFs, Fallen Witch Angel, karmen238 and WeasleysGroupie and xoMarie. I will see you all next Thursday.**

**Love,**

**LL**


	24. Chapter 24

**Hello, my lovelies. It's Thursday so it must be Amp Burger day. Ha ha, The Sacrifice is coming next week and OMG, back flippers anonymous alert, TVD is back the same day. Are you excited? Oh, I'm losing my mind or I already lost it. I'm just so happy and the official premiere of The Originals. Back to the story do not forget popcorn and tissues for The Sacrifice. STAT. Enjoy!**

Chapter 24: A Vampire in Love

Kol informed Elijah that he would be taking an hour off. With that said he had kissed his witch good-bye and left the store. He headed straight home rather than taking a detour through the local park to look for stray humans to feed off. When he arrived Nik Jr. came running down the stairs his tail wagging. Rebekah was walking behind Kol's pet. She had become fond of the little creature and had come to think of him as the family dog. The siblings met at the bottom of the stairs. Kol surprised Rebekah by calling her Bekah and kissing her on the cheek.

Rebekah watched her brother take the stairs four at a time. He was whistling as he jogged up the staircase. She frowned hoping that he hadn't burned down the restaurant with the crew still inside.

"Hey, Rebekah," Matt called from the kitchen. "I can't find the oregano."

Rebekah strode into the kitchen. She pulled one of the cabinet doors open to reveal the seasonings. She and Matt were cooking dinner together. Rebekah did not know how to cook so Matt was teaching her how to make pasta. They were making the sauce and the noodles from scratch and Rebekah was fascinated. It wasn't as if she couldn't have compelled someone to make the food but this meant she and Matt could spend time alone together.

Matt held out a ladle with piping hot sauce on it. Rebekah blew on it looking into Matt's eyes, her own sparkling with amusement. They both knew that if she burned herself it would heal quickly but this is a very human moment. There was nothing wrong with pretending for a moment. She licked the spoon clean and Matt just stared in awe at the Original female.

Kol chose that moment to make an appearance. He came in at the end of Rebekah's seductive moment but did not comment. He had changed his clothes from the usual jeans and whatever on the top to a dress shirt and pressed pants. His hair was arranged as if he was going to an event. Rebekah gawked at her brother. There was something off about him but she could not figure out what it was. Then she smelled something strange. "Are you wearing Elijah's aftershave?"

Kol just smiled at her. "Maybe," he replied. He walked over to the pot and sniffed. "Something smells delicious." He reached out and pulled the ladle from Matt's grasp, gently. He dipped the ladle into the sauce. "Umm… that is divine." Kol turned to the couple, who were beginning to wonder who was in this kitchen with them. "Are you making garlic bread, as well?"

Matt thought about that, "Vampires eat garlic?" He turned to Rebekah for the answer.

Kol patted Matt on the shoulder "Of course we do, silly?" He then headed over to the refrigerator to pull out more ingredients. Kol didn't make it that far before Rebekah grabbed him and pinned him to the counter. She held the ladle against Kol's chest above his heart.

"I demand to know what you did to my brother." Rebekah pushed the handle further forward. Not far enough to break skin but enough to bruise.

Kol reached down and pushed the ladle away. "I was trying to be nice. But if you do not want my help I will just leave."

Rebekah watched her brother make his way out of the kitchen. Kol turned in the doorway. "Do not forget, Elijah's meeting." With that he was gone.

Rebekah and Matt were stunned by the new Kol. They did not know what to think or to do. After a while Matt began to stir the sauce. "Do you think we should make the garlic bread? We could leave some food for Kol. He seemed to be trying to be nice. And I don't know, I kind feel bad about what just happened."

Rebekah turned to Matt pursing her lips. She leaned against the counter crossing her legs deep in thought. "That was not my brother. Even when he was human he was not that nice. Kol has always been a brat. Whoever that was it was not my brother." Rebekah's eyes were wide and her face was beginning to lose the usual cynicism as she considered the possibility that Kol could be changing.

'It must be the witch,' Rebekah thought. 'She must have put a spell on Kol so that he would become less… Kol… Yes, that must be it.' She could not say that if this were the case that she would demand that Bonnie change him back. It might even be nice to not have to worry constantly about what Kol would do next.

Kol had decided to go back to work. He had placed Nik Jr. on a leash and walked into 'Amp Burger just as Damon was locking the doors. "Hello there, Mate," Kol called cheerfully. Damon just turned and blinked at Kol.

Damon was not in the mood to deal with the craziest Original of them all, right now. He chose to ignore Kol and walked back into the store hoping that Kol was not about to stake him or attempt to shove vervain down his throat.

Kol walked behind the counter and pulled Bonnie to him. He kissed her tenderly.

"Kol, did you crash the computer?" Elijah demanded appearing right behind Kol. Elijah then sniffed the air around his brother. "And are you wearing my aftershave?"

Kol sighed, "Yes, brother, I did crash the computer. I thought it would be funny and I am sorry. I have already called someone to fix it. They will be here tomorrow. I may have also changed the stock order. That is another thing I will fix. As for the aftershave I was looking through your wardrobe to find something to wear. I hope you don't mind," Kol gestured to the clothes that he was wearing. "While I was in there I saw your aftershave in the bathroom and decided to try it. It smells quite nice."

Elijah stared at Kol, "Who are you?" Elijah demanded of Kol. He turned to Bonnie. "You did not do another spell did you?"

Bonnie looked from one Original brother to the other. "No. I haven't done any magic since the invisibility spell last night."

Kol smiled at Elijah and there was not a hint of the wickedness that Elijah was accustomed to. "Elijah, would you go shopping with me tomorrow?"

Elijah needed to sit down. This was wrong. He wanted Kol to change but this was all wrong. No one changed that much in less than an hour. "Kol, I swear if this is a trick…"

Kol gave his older brother the sincerest look he could. "It is not a trick. I swear to it, Elijah. I want to change and I want to start by shopping with my big brother."

Elijah really needed to sit down now. "We need to begin the meeting." He reached up to adjust his missing tie again and closed his eyes groaning. When he felt something wrap around his throat his eyes snapped open. He looked in shock to see Kol had manufactured a tie and was now tying it around Elijah's neck. He expected Kol to begin to strangle him at any moment. But when that did not happen Elijah began to fear for the remnants of Kol's sanity.

Kol patted his brother's tie and grinned at Elijah's look of fear. "Feel better now. I noticed that you're always reaching for the missing part of your suit so I thought I would bring one for you." A man appeared in the drive-thru window. Kol went over and opened it. He thanked the man and gave him a hundred dollar bill. Kol came back over and handed Elijah a suit jacket. It was one of Elijah's and he did not want to ask how Kol had gotten it delivered.

Elijah simply put the jacket on and headed into the dining room to join the rest of the crew. He took a seat next to Caroline but avoided direct eye contact. Elena sat across from him with a Salvatore brother on either side of her. Damon looked preoccupied and somewhat angry. He had his arm slung over the back of Elena's chair and every once in a while he would squeeze Stefan's shoulder.

Stefan looked dazed and depressed. His hair looked like he had been pulling at it because it was sticking out in tuffs in every angle. When Damon would squeeze his shoulder he would look at the table with a forlorn expression.

Elena had her hands in her lap and kept gnawing at her lower lip. Every once in a while she would sneak a peek at Stefan and then look at Caroline, who also seemed to be on edge. Kol came and sat down next to his brother and Bonnie sat bedside Kol. Their clasped hands came to rest on top of the table they were sitting at. Kol's other hand was around Bonnie's shoulders and her hand was on his knee.

Rebekah and Matt came in with containers, plates, cups, utensils and a couple of bottles of wine. "We brought dinner," Rebekah announced. Matt came to stand beside Damon and Kol got up to help his sister with the food. After everyone had been served Elijah began to discuss what he had gathered them there for. He had to stop when Tyler appeared at the door. Kol got up and let him in. Tyler came and sat down next to Caroline.

"Now that we are here," Elijah began, "I would like to thank all of you for gathering for this meeting. I know that some of us have had our differences." He looked pointedly at Damon and Kol. "However, we need to come together now. There is about to be a battle between one of my brothers and I. I do believe that some of you may be aware of my brother, Niklaus' preoccupation with unleashing his werewolf side."

Matt chocked on his spaghetti, "His what?" He looked around at the others for answers.

"It's a long story," Damon said dryly staring at his glass of wine.

Elijah continued, "I would like to think that all of you will be prepared to fight by my side to prevent this from happening. If you do not, I fear that Niklaus will become an unstoppable force. We mustn't allow this to happen. We must do everything we can to stop Niklaus. We have less than a month to create a plan. Unfortunately, at the moment I have no idea where Niklaus is. We can only assume that he is tracking down whoever has the moonstone. Without it he will not be able to break the curse my mother placed on him over a thousand years ago to prevent Niklaus from transitioning into a wolf. If you choose to stay and work with me there may be lives lost."

Elena stared at her plate losing her appetite. "As the doppelgänger Klaus needs Elena to complete the spell."

"What?" Matt asked. "Elena, did you know that?" She nodded. "Am I the only one who does not know what's going on around here?"

Rebekah leaned into his shoulder. "I will explain everything." She whispered as Elijah continued.

"Everyone in this room has someone that they care for," Elijah looked each member of the group in the eye lingering on Caroline for a fraction longer than he had meant to. "We must do everything that we can to protect those people."

Rebekah and Kol looked at each other and then at Elijah. Kol squeezed Bonnie's hand as Rebekah looked at the group. There were not many people here she was fond of but her gaze rested on Stefan and then moved to Matt. There were those she would put her life on the line for. Tyler took Caroline's hand and squeezed it. Elijah attempted to restrain his desire to pull Caroline's hand out of the boy's grasp. No one saw Caroline's hand drop under the table and take Elijah's. He did not visibly react but he grasped her hand firmly.

"So, what do you plan on doing about the psychotic Hybrid?" Damon demanded leaning forward. Elijah sat back contemplating his answer.

"We will wait for Niklaus to strike. Right now, he does not seem to be aware of our knowledge of his plans. Therefore, when he comes back in a week we will behave as naturally as possible."

Damon snorted, "That is the stupidest plan ever."

"Damon, at least hear him out," Elena reasoned with her boyfriend.

Damon turned to Elena, "If his plan fails. You die. That is not risk I am willing to take."

Damon directed the last part at Elijah.

"Would you prefer to run?" Elijah questioned.

"Yes," Damon replied without hesitation.

"No," Elena cried. "We cannot leave Jenna and Jeremy. I'm not going to run, Damon."

"You don't have a choice, Elena," Damon snapped back. They starred at each other, neither giving an inch.

Kol turned to Elijah, "There is more to the plan, yes?"

Elijah nodded, "My plan for the night of the sacrifice is that we do everything we can to distract Niklaus. That is where you, Kol, and you, Rebekah come in. You are both wonderful at creating chaos. I need you to act on those instincts. I will also be doing my utmost to distract him. Matt, I would like to keep you out of this as much as possible but we may need you. Rebekah can teach you how to use a tranquilizer gun. As for Stefan and Damon your job is to protect Elena which I know you are already doing. As for Tyler and Caroline, you must stay away that night."

Caroline's head whipped around, "What?"

"Niklaus will be sacrificing one werewolf and one vampire. I do not want either of you to be chosen for that task," Elijah explained. "Caroline, the plan is not to kill Niklaus ; it is to stop him."

"And if you don't stop him," Stefan had been quiet until then. "I know Klaus and I know what he is capable of. He is ruthless when he wants something."

Elijah sighed, "If we cannot stop Niklaus then we will have to kill him." He tried to not look at Caroline when he made this last statement. Her hold on his hand tightened but she did not speak up.

After that the meeting was over and everyone decided to leave. Rebekah and Matt began to clean things up. Kol and Bonnie stayed behind to help. Elijah insisted upon giving Tyler and Caroline a ride home. He dropped Tyler off at the Lockwood estate first and then drove Caroline home.

"You would really kill your own brother?" she asked quietly.

"Not if I have another choice," Elijah replied his eyes on the road.

Caroline was startled when her phone rang. The screen read unknown caller. "Hello?"

"Car-o-line," came the deeply accented voice on the other end of the line.

"Klaus," Caroline's eyes widened. "Klaus, where are you?"

"Don't worry about that, love. Like I said it's just a bit of business I have to conduct. I will be back before you know I was gone." Caroline sank into her seat feeling her heart rate going up. "How are things back home, sweetheart?"

"They're great," Caroline's voice had risen in pitch.

"Are you sure, love? You don't sound like yourself." Klaus was now pacing the floor of the apartment in Seattle, Washington he was currently standing in. He stopped and stared at Katerina Petrova, who was glaring at him. She was suspended five feet in the air with vervain soaked ropes around her hands and feet. She had one in her mouth so that no one could hear her scream. There was a lot of blood on the floors and the walls from where he had stabbed her repeatedly with a piece of wood which used to be a leg of her desk.

"No, I'm fine," Caroline said her voice hoarse, tears in her eyes. "I just miss you, that's all."

Klaus stopped frowning and his lips twitched upward into a pleased smile. "I miss you too, love. Do not worry. I will be coming home to you soon. Are you on your way home?"

Caroline nodded tears running down her cheeks. "Yes."

"Good, because I picked you up a present on the road. It should be there waiting for you now. I love you, Caroline."

Caroline held back a sob. "I love you, too."

"Good-bye, love."

"Good night."

Klaus turned back to Katerina picking up the bloody stake, "Now, where were we?"

Caroline hung up and allowed the sobs to come and Elijah wrapped an arm around her. When they arrived at her house Elijah walked her to her door. "Will you be alright?" Caroline nodded and then embraced Elijah. They pulled away after a moment and then the door to Caroline's house opened. Her Mom was not due home yet so, Caroline was surprised that there was anyone there.

When a tall, blonde haired man stepped out Caroline gasped, "Daddy." She moved forward and flung herself into her father's outstretched arms.

"Good night, Caroline." Elijah said. "Mr. Forbes." He nodded at the other man, who also nodded and then led his daughter inside. Elijah turned and made his way back to his car.

Inside the house Caroline was beaming at her father. "I can't believe you are here." Bill Forbes nodded and went into the living room. He peered out the blind to make sure that Elijah was gone.

"Klaus Mikaelson paid me a visit and suggested that I come to see you." Bill sat down on the couch and then patted the seat beside him. When he knew he had his daughter's full attention he looked at her and asked, "Caroline, what did I tell you about associating with vampires?"

**I hope you enjoyed it. Things are about to get dark and twistier. However, there will still be humor, just dark and twisty humor. I will see you then. **

**Thank you for new favorites, follows reading and/or reviewing. Thank you WeasleysGroupie and Deppie-NtinaBFF's. **

**Love,**

**LL**


	25. Chapter 25

**Hello, my lovlies. It's is the premiere night of TVD, The Originals and the beginning of the three parter that I keep telling you about. I hope you like it and as I've I said this part of the story is dark. Without further ado enjoy part one of the sacrifice. :)**

Chapter 25: The Sacrifice: Part I

One Month Later:

Klaus Mikaelson was home. He was well rested and relaxed. You could even say that he was in a good mood as he opened the front door of his mansion. He decided to walk up the stairs at human speed. He wanted to surprise Caroline. Last night he had left her a message saying he would arrive tonight. It was 4 am and he wanted to be there when she woke up. He passed Kol and Rebekah's rooms and made his way to his own. When he opened the door he saw that the bed was made and had not been slept in. He inhaled and did not detect her scent. Going downstairs there was no sign of her. He traced his steps back upstairs. Rebekah was not in her bed. But that wasn't surprising. When he popped his head into Kol's he found that Kol was curled up with the Bennett witch. They were fast asleep. Then he opened Elijah's bedroom door and he found the bed made and the room was eerily quieter than usual.

Klaus left the mansion and then headed to the Gilbert's. They were a trusting lot. He grabbed a hidden, extra key out from under a potted plant. Klaus looked in Elena's bedroom first. No Elena or Caroline. His next stop was to the Donavon's. They also had a spare key. He grabbed it and let himself in. Again, no Elena and no Caroline. He had to admit that he was relieved. When he walked past Matt's room he saw Matt asleep with Rebekah tucked under the covers with him.

'Hmm…' he thought and then left. His next stop was the Lockwood's. If he found Caroline there he would kill Tyler rather than waiting for the sacrifice tonight. When he arrived he forced a window open; then quickly turned the alarm off. He looked into the unfamiliar bedrooms and saw Carol Lockwood sleeping obviously in a semi-coma from the bottle of pills on the nightstand. When he found a bedroom which was probably Tyler's, he found the bed empty. He began to feel extremely irritated. Thinking about it he sped off to the Salvatore's. He found Stefan sleeping in his room and Damon curled up with his doppelgänger on top of the resting vampire.

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Damon," he snapped, knowing full well that the vampire was not asleep. One of Damon's eyes popped open. He found himself face to face with the psychotic Hybrid in a very literal sense.

"Personal space," Damon snapped back.

Elena snored loudly making both the vampires stare at her. "I do believe she is drooling, mate," Klaus smirked at Damon before taking a seat at the end of the bed leaning against one of the posts. "You do realize that I'm going to kill that girl tonight, right?" Klaus' eyes were glowing with anticipation as he watched Elena's body move beneath the sheets with her last breaths.

Damon rolled his eyes. "It's just sex, Klaus. I know it's been a while for you but it's like riding a bike."

Klaus scoffed. He really should use the elder Salvatore for the sacrifice tonight. Damon was nothing but a useless, idiot. The only reason he had not ended his miserable existence before was that he was a link to the sleeping girl before him. "Do you happen to know where Caroline is?" Klaus was not sure why he was asking Damon of all people.

"She's on a trip with Elijah and Tyler. But you would already know that if you bothered to check your voicemail." Elena turned her head to look at Klaus and he realized the she had been awake the whole time.

Klaus' eyes narrowed at the girl before him. Before Elena could blink, Klaus grabbed her by the shoulders and jerked her to him. "Where are they?" He demanded and Elena pulled the sheet up to cover herself back up.

"Elijah wanted to take them on a trip overseas. He said something about touring Europe for a week." Elena looked terrified and Damon was by her side.

Klaus let go of Elena and sat back. This was wrong. Caroline was supposed to be here and Lockwood was supposed to be part of the sacrifice. He had a backup werewolf but it was still irritating. "And you," Klaus turned to Damon, "have obviously been having pillow talk with your girlfriend. That is sweet and very stupid." Klaus sighed, "If I didn't need you both then I would kill you now but I have other things to do today. After all there is a store to run." With that Klaus got off of Damon's bed. He stopped in the doorway. "By the way don't try to run or I will kill everyone you love. Until tonight, Elena."

Klaus bounced down the stairs looking forward to that night. He stopped in the doorway when he heard Damon calling to him. "Hey Jackass, tell Rebekah we're going to be late. Now, get the hell out of my house." Klaus chuckled and walked out into the sunshine. It was going to be a beautiful day.

Upstairs Damon was holding Elena, who was crying. "I hate him, Damon."

"I know, honey. I know. And you know that I would do anything to protect you, right?" Damon cupped Elena face and forced her to look at him. She nodded, whimpering. Damon looked up when he heard the front doorbell. "And I think anything just arrived. So, you go ahead and get some clothes on and meet me downstairs." Damon leaned down and kissed her. He was hoping that this would not be the last time he did.

Damon hurried downstairs and opened the door. Waiting outside were a blonde man of average size and a black haired woman with large blue eyes. "John, Isobel, please, come in. Would you like anything to drink or anything to eat? Elena will be down soon."

Upstairs Elena had popped in the shower and cleaned up quickly. She decided to allow her hair to curl today. She pulled on a pair of jeans and one of Damon's shirts. She figured that if she had to die today she might as well be comfortable. Having something of Damon's close to her gave her a slight amount of comfort. Before going downstairs she opened a door that been spelled to be invisible to supernatural entities.

Inside the spelled room Caroline was just getting up. She had not slept well for some time. A week after her father had come to town he had vanished. Caroline had thought he had gone home. However, when she called his boyfriend he informed her that he thought Bill was still in Mystic Falls. Elijah was already up and dressed in a black suit. He was adjusting his tie. 'Is that all he does?' Elena wondered.

Elijah turned to Elena, "Are you ready for tonight?" He could tell from the dark circles under her eyes what the answer was.

Elena smiled wryly, "What is it that they used to say? Its good day to die." Elijah chuckled and Caroline walked around the bed and slapped her friend, hard. Elena fell to the floor gaping at her friend.

"What is wrong with you?" Caroline yelled. "And you?" Caroline turned around and shoved Elijah, forcing him to take a minuscule step backward. "You are both crazy." Caroline sat down on the bed sobbing uncontrollably.

Elijah pulled Elena to her feet. "It is the full moon. At this moment Caroline is experiencing aggression which she has yet to learn how to control." Elijah knew that this explanation did not make up for the fact that one of Elena's friends had just hit her on the day that she expected to die.

Elena tentatively sat down with Caroline. "Care, I'm sorry about the joke but I'm scared."

Caroline looked at Elena and felt a pang of guilt when she saw a red mark on her friend's face from where she had hit her. "I just don't want anybody to die tonight and I feel so useless."

Elena hugged Caroline. "You will never be useless. You are Caroline Forbes. Remember."

"Thank you. I'm sorry I hit you. Please, don't tell Damon. He'll probably rip my head off or something," Caroline sniffled. She and Elena began to laugh hysterically.

Elijah thought he would never understand the mind of a teenage girl. He had enough trouble trying to understand his siblings, who seemed to be in a frozen state of teenage drama at times. Over the past month Elijah had found himself confiding in Caroline. They would spend most nights laying on the bed talking until Caroline fell asleep. Elijah would then be left to his own thoughts. He thought of the future. There was no small amount of dread which plagued Elijah as he thought of what would happen when Niklaus came home. Elijah had had to act quickly when Caroline informed him of the phone call. Until that moment Elijah had not known for sure when his brother would arrive.

Three weeks earlier Caroline had informed Elijah of her father's disappearance. Elijah had driven to the Forbes' residence and had compelled Liz to pack a bag. One hour later Elijah had the sheriff on a private plane headed for a tiny Greek island. He had friends there who would see to the woman's every need. The next step was to send Tyler away. Tyler found himself on a plane to Mexico. From Mexico he would head to Brazil. There were a group of witches, who Elijah had done a favor for two centuries ago.

As for Caroline, she would be staying with Elijah. He had decided that they would stay in Mystic Falls in the Salvatore Boarding house. That way if Klaus made a move to take Elena, Elijah would be there. They had chosen a small bedroom at the end of the hallway which you would not notice if you were not looking for it.

Elijah had also sent Jenna Sommers and Jeremy Gilbert to a small town in Spain. The mayor had been the last to be sent. She was now in Paris enjoying a shopping trip. There had been a problem when he had tried to send Shelia Bennett away. The woman had refused to leave as long as Bonnie stayed and they needed Bonnie.

Elijah had complied. Kol would keep in close contact with the Bennett witch. Until Klaus had made it clear that he was coming back Kol had been staying in the Bennett household, on the couch. When Caroline had received the phone call her first instinct had been to call Klaus back and ask him where in the hell he had been. Elijah had stopped her. Klaus must not know where they were. He must believe that they were in Europe.

Caroline's cell began to ring and the screen read Klaus. She looked at Elijah. He held out his hand and she reluctantly handed the phone over. "Hello, Niklaus," Elijah said calmly.

Klaus had been smiling when he had dialed Caroline's number but now his face wrinkled. "Elijah, may I ask why you are answering Caroline's phone?"

Elijah couldn't help but smile. Niklaus' anger was his greatest weakness. "Well, I took her shopping and she bought a new bikini and wanted to use it. She is currently swimming in the hotel pool. I do believe that most people do not take their phones into the pool with them."

Klaus began to pace. "And which nation would you currently be in?"

"We are in France. Caroline says Bonjour."

Klaus was about to crush his phone in his fist. There was something about Elijah's tone that told Klaus that Elijah was lying to him. When he found his big brother he was going to dagger him for keeping Caroline from him. "Put her on the phone. Now." Klaus growled, his patience waning.

"As you wish," Elijah handed the phone over to Caroline.

"Bonjour, Klaus. Ca va?"

"Tres bien, love. Now, why you don't be a dear and tell me exactly where you are? Not what my brother has just been telling me. I want to know where you are at this exact moment. I need you with me, Caroline."

Caroline looked at Elijah, "We are in the South of France. It's beautiful here. I wish that you had come with us. Elijah promised he would take me to the Louvre today."

Klaus listened carefully. There was no change in Caroline's breathing or heartbeat. He could not detect any change in her voice. She sounded happy. He sighed, running a hand through his hair, chuckling. This was supposed to be a great day and here he was expecting the worst of those closest to him. "Well, I am happy to hear that you are enjoying yourself. I have some things I have to take care of here in Mystic Falls but as I am done I will come to you. I love you, Caroline. Do not ever forget that."

"I love you, too." Caroline replied and then hung up before she could tell him what was really going on. "I am a horrible liar. I cannot believe that he bought that."

Elijah sat down beside her. "My brother may be many things and trust does not come to him easily. However, in over a thousand years I have seen him in love with two women. One of those women died when we were still human. The other is you, Caroline. He wants to believe you. That is why he does."

Caroline leaned against Elijah and he put an arm around her shoulders. "It is not difficult to put your trust in someone when you are in love with them."

Caroline peered up at him. "And how many times have you been in love?"

Elijah chuckled, "Three times. The first time I fell in love it was with the same girl that Niklaus was in love with. Then I fell for Katerina Petrova. Now… well, I think we have a lot of things we have to do today. Wouldn't you agree, Caroline?" Elijah got up and held out his hands to Caroline. She took his hands and allowed him to pull her up.

Half an hour later Caroline had dressed in a light yellow sundress Elijah had bought for her and curled her hair. When she exited the bathroom Elijah held the door open for her and they descended the steps together, his hand rested on the curve of her backbone. They walked into the Salvatore dining room.

Elena looked up at Caroline. Elena's face was pale and her mouth was pressed into a line. Caroline came and sat down beside her friend. Across from Caroline was a woman Caroline had never met. Next to the stranger was Elena's Uncle John.

Elijah pulled out a chair and sat down beside Caroline. He extended his hand to the man across from him. "I do not believe we have met? I am Elijah Mikaelson."

John took his hand. "I'm John Gilbert. I am Elena's biological father." Caroline stared at John like he had announced that he was the president of Russia. John ignored her and gestured to the woman. "This is Isobel Salztman. She is Elena's biological mother."

"But she's a vampire?" Caroline exclaimed.

Isobel smiled and raised a glass of thick, red liquid to her lips. "I wasn't always one."

"Oh," Caroline frowned looking at her friend.

Elena was looking at the untouched food on her plate. Damon came in with a bowl of fruit and a bottle of what could only be blood. He handed the bottle to Elijah, who poured himself a glass. Damon took a serving of fruit and placed it on Elena's plate. "Eat or I will compel you to."

Elena turned to her boyfriend. "I'm not hungry."

Damon turned to Elena. "You are not going to die tonight. But in case Klaus gets ahold of you, you need to eat to conserve your energy." Damon began to dig into his own pancakes. Elena took a small bite of pancake and placed a strawberry in her mouth. She chewed slowly staring at Damon as if challenging him to try to make her eat faster. Damon just stared right back.

Caroline felt the urge to yell. "Okay, so what's the plan, Damon?"

"The plan, Melon, is that Bonnie is going to cast a spell to save Elena's life. That is what Daddy John is here for. Isobel is going to help by distracting Klaus until dawn. Sorry, I can't tell you more because you have a big mouth." Damon had the usual snarky look on his face but there was something in his eyes which told Caroline that he was just as scared as she was. That is why she held her tongue.

Elijah sat back in his seat. "Welcome to the team." John and Isobel nodded.

Meanwhile, Klaus was enjoying his last hours managing this dump Kol seemed to find so amusing. Very soon Klaus would be on a plane to France in a hotel pool with his favorite werewolf girl. Right now, he was on the phone with the twentieth major hotel in France. There was no way Elijah had chosen to stay anywhere else. Only the best would do for his family. When the young woman came back to the phone she informed him that no one was there matching Elijah's, Caroline's nor Tyler's descriptions, Klaus' eyes narrowed and he hung up. The next calls he made were to certain contacts throughout the world.

An hour later he knew the whereabouts of everyone but Caroline and Elijah. He informed his contacts that he expected to see each and every one of those people back in Mystic Falls by 2 pm.

His next order of business was to order his crew for the day to come into the office. Matt, Mr. Brown and a young woman named Tina, who was covering for Caroline, came into the office. Klaus opened a box he had brought with him. "Drink this," he demanded with a pleasant smile. Matt hesitated when Klaus gave him the vial. "What is it?" Tina asked.

Klaus looked at her and folded his hands in his lap. "There is a dangerous disease spreading through the greater United States. That is the vaccine. You wouldn't want to catch anything. Now, would you?" The girl shook her head and downed his blood. Next Mr. Brown drank the blood knowing that it was either that or die now. Matt frowned at Klaus but he liked his spine in his body rather than on the floor. He, too, drained the liquid.

Klaus was pleased. "Now, I need you to come with me." He got up and walked out of the office. The others followed out to the parking lot. Kol's semi was parked and a vampire with shoulder length hair hopped out of the passenger side. "Rose," Klaus greeted with a smirk.

"Klaus," Rose replied but she did not return the smile.

"I assume that you collected what I asked you to?" Klaus laced his fingers behind his back waiting for the vampire to open the back door. Inside were two werewolves. A woman named Jules and someone else, Klaus did not know his name but was pleased that there was a spare. Tyler Lockwood was sitting opposite. They found him at an airport in Mexico. Katherine Pierce sat beside Lockwood. "Get in the truck," he ordered his crew.

"Where are we going?" Tina asked.

"You are going to bloody Disney world," Klaus snapped. He grabbed the girl and snapped her neck. Then he threw her into the truck. She landed on Katherine, who nudged the body off. "Any more questions?" The other two shook their heads. After Matt and Mr. Brown were loaded in Klaus slammed the door closed. "Kill the girl when you get there," Klaus ordered Rose. "And remember this is your last chance." Klaus looked from Rose to Trevor in the driver's seat. After Rose got back in the truck Klaus waved a cheerful good-bye.

One hour later Bonnie and Kol came in. "Ah, if it isn't my favorite Bennett witch. And Kol what are you wearing?" Klaus examined the suit that Kol was wearing. "Was this your doing?" Klaus asked Bonnie.

Bonnie just stared up at him with an evil gleam in her eye. "Hmm… I do believe that you need a vacation, Bonnie. You seem stressed. Kol, you should really consider taking her somewhere nice. How about the South of France. Caroline told me this morning that it was lovely there, right now. Funny thing is, she and Elijah do not seem to be staying in any of the hotels that we are accustomed to. Now, neither of you would know anything about that would you?"

Klaus cocked his head to the side watching the couple's reaction carefully. Bonnie glared at Klaus. "Even if I knew where they were you would be the last person I would tell."

Klaus shook his head, his grin not moving an inch. "Have it your way Bonnie but I will have Caroline. By the way have you spoken to your grandmother? Her name is Shelia, isn't? Yes, I do believe that an associate of mine, actually several associates, are making the acquaintance of your grandmother as we speak."

Klaus' grin grew when Bonnie's eyes widened and the anger began to take control. "I wouldn't think about using your magic on me. Because all I have to do is snap my fingers and your grandmother will be on the other side before you can blink," Klaus growled.

Kol held Bonnie back, "What is wrong with you?" Bonnie hissed. She had never liked Klaus but now she knew that she would do anything to see that he never hurt anyone else that she loved again.

Kol turned Bonnie around. "We will get her back. I promise you. Now, brother what do you want?"

Klaus smiled at his brother. "I just want you to stay out of my way. As for the witch I want her to help me with my sacrifice."

"You're crazy," Bonnie exclaimed. "I am not going to help you hurt innocent people."

"Actually, only one will be a person and I am sure that you can make a new friend."

"No," Bonnie yelled. Klaus held up two fingers with a smirk. Bonnie looked at him horrified. 'He couldn't end her grandmother's life that easily? Could he?' she wondered. With tears in her eyes she nodded. "I'll help you," she whispered. "With one condition."

Klaus smiled, "Name your price, love."

"You let my grandmother go and Elena is the only one of my friends you use. That means that Tyler, Matt, Caroline, Stefan, Damon, and any of their family members are off the list."

Klaus crossed his finger over his heart. "I promise," he said sincerely. "But if you cross me you are taking all of their lives in your hands." Bonnie nodded. Klaus clapped. "Well, then. It is 10 am and we have customers to wait on." There was line outside the door and Bonnie tried not to grit her teeth as she took each order. She wanted this day to end. She just hoped that everyone made it.

Three hours later everyone on Klaus' list had been rounded up if they were not already back in Mystic Falls they were on their way. All members had been drugged. When they woke up they found themselves shackled in the basement of the Mikaelson mansion. They were forced to drink Klaus' blood and were guarded by a team of vampires and witches.

Tyler hated to see his mother like this. She was not the kind of woman, who responded well to this kind of stress. Bill Forbes was sitting across from him. He had been there the longest and also did not look like he was coping particularly well under the circumstances. Liz was next to her ex-husband and they had been talking for some time trying to figure out how to get out.

Tyler had thought that Elena was down there with them until a witch had gotten too close to her and she had snapped the woman's neck. She then sank her fangs into the woman's throat. 'No, that was not Elena,' Tyler thought. Or he hoped it wasn't. Jeremy Gilbert was sitting next to him with his Aunt on his other side.

"What's going on?" Jenna asked.

For some reason Tyler's history teacher, Alaric Saltzman was there, too. "I don't know," he said. "But I think it's best to try to stay calm."

"Stay calm," Jenna snapped. "You really think that we should stay calm. We're in the basement of some lunatic's home. Obviously we have been abducted by some kind of freaky cult. One minute I'm having a drink and Jeremey's taking a nap. The next minute I'm here with all of you and I'm being forced to drink something that tasted a whole like blood. And that thing over there, who looks like my niece," Jenna pointed at Katherine. "I'm pretty sure that she's a plant for the cult. Did you see her drink that girl's blood? That is not natural."

Katherine glared at Jenna. "Stupid human," Katherine snarled at her.

Jenna continued talking to Alaric gesturing at Katherine. "See what I mean? That is just another example of the weird things that are going on and you want me to be calm."

"Chill, Jenna." Jeremey said. "That over there is a vampire. I don't why she looks like Elena but you know the whole blood drinking thing. It sounds a lot like vampire."

Jenna rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Jer."

"Seriously, Jenna," Katherine snapped. "I hope that Klaus sacrifices you because you are sooo slow."

"Who is Klaus?" Jenna asked.

"He's Caroline's new boyfriend," Jeremy informed her.

"Another one. I think she's competing with my record," Jenna chuckled and then saw the looks she was getting from the Forbes' side of the room. "Sorry, my foot lives in my mouth."

"Obviously," Katherine stated drily.

Jenna turned to Katherine, "Why do you look like my niece?"

Katherine narrowed her eyes and smiled showing her fangs. "Here is a better question. Why does your niece look like me? Let's see, maybe you Gilberts' should have looked into the history of little orphan Annie before taking her home."

Jeremy looked from Katherine to his Aunt. "Elena's adopted?"

"Gee," Katherine drawled. "I thought Baby Gilbert was the smart one in the bunch. Oh, well. Maybe, Klaus will sacrifice you, instead."

Alaric stared at Katherine. "Hey, how about Klaus sacrifices you because you can't shut up. And, well, I have a feeling that if he liked you so much you wouldn't be down here with the rest of us."

Katherine smiled at him, jerking at her chains. "Once I am free you had better run, hunter, because I will catch you and make your death nice and slow."

"Yes, and you can see that I am very afraid of a trampy dressing, melodramatic, cougar." Alaric shook his head. "You do know that I am the only friend of one of the many guys you have screwed over, over the centuries, right?"

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Dear God, will Damon never get a life. It has been a hundred and fifty years."

"You are a vampire," Jenna said her mouth hanging open.

"That is it. I am going to kill. You are stupid." Katherine began to jerk viciously at her chains. All of the humans tensed and Katherine strained at her bonds. Suddenly, she sank to her knees screaming in pain.

"That is what you deserve, Katerina." Rose was now standing over the younger vampire glaring down at her. "Bring the others in," she ordered. Trevor came in with two witches and the missing members of the group. Jules was placed next to Tyler. Her boyfriend was placed beside her. Matt and Mr. Brown were placed on the other side. Tyler didn't really know why he had been taken in first but he didn't like the possibilities.

The only relief for Tyler was that Caroline wasn't here. However, that might mean that she was with Klaus and that scared him even more than the idea of her being in this basement. He hoped that she was with Elijah. Tyler wasn't sure what was going on with Caroline and Elijah but he hoped it was enough that Elijah would fight for her.

Jules was looking around her. "Great, we're surrounded by a bunch of stinking vamps."

Katherine sneered, "You think you smell great."

Jules smiled at Katherine, "The sun is going down in a couple of hours, vampire. Then these chains won't hold us."

"What is she talking about?" Jenna whispered to Alaric.

"They're werewolves," Alaric responded, not bothering to whisper. He knew that anyone with supernatural hearing would overhear him.

"Which ones?" Jenna asked.

Katherine pointed them out. "That Bitch with the big mouth. The scruffy guy next her. The scruffy guy next to him. And then there is the Lockwood Kid. Hi, Tyler." Katherine smiled at Tyler, who looked confused. "I knew your Uncle Mason. He was so hot. Umm… and good in bed. I wonder…" She began eying Tyler. "Whether that runs in the family or whether it's just the werewolf gene?"

Carol Lockwood spoke up, "My son is not a werewolf." She looked from Tyler to Katherine and then Tyler again. "Tyler, tell that Vampire or hooker or whatever she is that you are not a werewolf," Carol cried.

Tyler groaned, "Mom…"

"Oh, Dear God, Tyler."

"Sorry to interrupt the after school special but I am a very busy man. And we are on a very tight schedule. Now, if all of you would like to form a line. Please, no shoving. I would hate to have to kill anyone before the sacrifice and I only need two of you. The rest can go your merry ways." Klaus had his hands behind his back, a grin plastered on his face. "Now, do I have any volunteers?"

**I hope you liked it because there is quite a bit more to go before this part of the story is over. If you have time send me a review and let me know what you thought of start of this trilogy. I will see you all next week with part II.**

**Thank you for the new favorites and follows. Thank you for reading/reviewing Deppie-NtinaBFFs, WeasleysGroupie, karmen238, Guest, and redrosebud.**

**Love,**

**LL **


	26. Chapter 26

**Hello my faithful readers. It is time for the second part. Are you excited? I know I am. Let's see what happens. Enjoy! **

Chapter 26: The Sacrifice: Part II

Rebekah Mikaelson had come over to the Salvatore's although she was supposed to be closing the store that night with Damon and Elena. Klaus had called her an hour ago to inform her that he wanted the store to close at 5 pm. The sacrifice was today. He also wanted to know if she knew where Elijah and Caroline were. "I have no idea," was her reply. Klaus had hung up on her. She had jumped into her car and driven to the Salvatores.' Her foot pushed the gas pedal to the floor. Traffic laws be damned.

When she walked into the boarding house she found Caroline and Elijah sitting on a couch talking to a human and a vampire she was unfamiliar with. The newcomers tensed when Rebekah walked into the room. Elijah turned to her. "Has Klaus contacted you?"

"Of course," she replied.

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him nothing. Who are you?" she stared daggers at the new people.

"These are Elena's birth parents, John and Isobel. This is my sister, Rebekah."

Rebekah walked away from the group. She headed into the kitchen hearing a heartbeat. Elena was sitting in a chair, her posture stiff. Damon was still attempting to reassure her that everything would be alright.

"Give her your blood." Rebekah stared at Damon as she spoke.

Elena focused her attention on Rebekah. "I don't want to be a vampire."

"Too bad," Rebekah snapped. "Would you rather be dead?" Elena frowned.

Stefan was standing against a wall. "It's Elena's decision."

"The bloody hell it is." Rebekah glared at the three. "Do you think I wanted to be a vampire? No, I did not but my mother fed me blood and my father killed me. Then he made me drink again. Do you have any idea how horrible that was? However, after time you learn to accept the life you have been given. Right now is your chance Elena. You do not have to die."

Damon looked down at Elena. "I hate to admit it but Lemon's right. I didn't want to become a vampire either but here I am."

Elena looked at the two. "I don't know," she looked down at her hands. "I don't want to hurt people."

Damon knelt down to look at Elena in the eye. "You do not have to hurt anyone. Okay, Stefan can teach you how to live on the bunny diet or you can feed from blood bags. Please, Elena. If something happens to you I will be sunbathing minus my ring tomorrow morning."

Elena began to cry. "Damon. Please, I want to have a family."

"Then we'll adopt some kids. Just don't go into this without a precaution. Please, Elena. I love you. I cannot live without you." Damon was now crying, too.

"Okay," Elena said. Her voice came out in a barely audible whisper.

"Okay," Damon replied. He brought his wrist to his mouth and bit down. Elena placed her mouth gingerly against the wound and took a tentative sip. Then began to drink with a little more enthusiasm. There were still tears trailing down her cheeks when Damon pulled his wrist away. He reached out and wiped the remaining blood from Elena's mouth. "Now, we're ready," Elena nodded.

Rebekah led the group back to the living room. John and Isobel got up and hugged Elena. She felt strange hugging these two and pulled away quickly. Rebekah led them to the front door. Elijah came to the door and hugged his sister. She was surprised but hugged him back. Then Rebekah got in her car and left. Five minutes later Damon and Elena pulled out, too.

Stefan, Elijah and Isobel would be arriving at sundown. Rebekah arrived at the store to see a distressed Bonnie waiting on customers on the front counter. She saw her brother making sandwiches and he seemed subdued. She looked around for Matt but he was missing and so was Mr. Brown. Damon walked in the door with Elena behind him. He kept an arm around the girl looking around the store for the crazed hybrid.

Klaus came around the counter. "There you are. I was afraid you would be late. Isn't that what you told me, Damon?" Klaus quirked an amused eyebrow. He was practically glowing.

"Let's just get this over with," Damon snapped.

"What's your hurry? We still have time to for a nice chat." Klaus ushered them behind the counter. He waved for Bonnie and Kol to follow. "Sorry folks," he called, "but we are closing early." Klaus watched as the customers left and went over and locked the doors. After he made his way back to the office he sat down on the desk. "I know that many of you are probably terribly upset about how I have gone about this whole 'becoming a hybrid' thing. We could blame my mother. But she's dead and there is no sense in getting bent out shape about things we can really do nothing about is there?"

Damon glared at Klaus, "You really do love the sound of your own voice don't you?"

Klaus shrugged, "Yes, I suppose you could see it that way but I see it as we were having a polite conversation until you interrupted. And, frankly speaking, Damon, I no longer have any use for you." Klaus grabbed Damon by the neck and twisted.

Elena watched in horror as her boyfriend hit the floor. "You bastard," she shouted.

Klaus just smirked at her. "Now, Elena there is no need for that kind of language. That is, unless you would like me to give him a more permanent death." Klaus picked up a pencil and began to test the end.

Kol piped up, "He's just upset because it's true." Klaus took the pencil and jammed it into Kol's heart.

"That would be for my paint brushes. Not for the comment."

Kol jerked the pencil out, frowning, "Father sends his regards."

Bonnie nodded, "I forgot about that. So, does your Mother."

Klaus paled slightly but he recovered quickly. "What else did they say?"

It was Bonnie's turn to smile. "That they would be seeing you soon. Real soon."

Klaus growled, his vampiric features taking over, momentarily, before he relaxed. 'They are liars,' he reassured himself. He reached into his back pocket for his phone. "I have something I think you all might want to see." He held out the phone to Elena, who gasped when she saw Jenna and Jeremy. They were in a large group of people in what looked like the back of a semi-truck.

"Is that my truck?" Kol grimaced as he saw an assortment of familiar faces.

Bonnie frowned when she did not see her grandmother. "What did you do with my Grams?" she demanded.

Klaus waved his hand, "Don't worry about her. She is safe. She is my assurance that you will do the spell correctly."

"I want to see her," Bonnie moved toward the Original vampire.

"All in good time. Kol restrain your pet, before I hurt her, will you?"

"Nik, where is Matt?" Rebekah pushed past the others and stood in front of her brother.

"Rebekah, you and your humans. When will you ever learn?" Rebekah reared back and slapped Klaus. He recovered and grabbed her by the throat. "Do not make me put you back in a box, sister." He let go and shoved her away. She ran into Elena, who fell down.

"Now, now," he said. "Let's not kill the doppleganger, yet. That would defeat the purpose of the main event." Klaus got up and pulled Elena to her feet. She attempted to pull away. "You can fight me all you want but tonight you will die," he whispered, tucking her hair behind her neck and breathing in her scent.

Elena and Bonnie looked sick. Kol and Rebekah looked like they were ready to jump their brother and beat him to a bloody pulp. Klaus looked down at Elena, "As long as you behave I will spare Jenna and Jeremy."

Damon groaned from his position on the floor and began to push himself to his feet. Before he could stand up Klaus grabbed him in a headlock. "I will even spare this one's life if you acquiesce." He grabbed a fist full of Damon's hair, jerking his head back so that his gaze met Elena's. "If you don't…" He snapped Damon's neck again.

Klaus cocked his head to one side enjoying the sight of Damon dead, at his feet. He might even make a sketch of it and hang it over the mantel piece.

"Let's see, is there anything I'm forgetting? Oh, yes. Kol and Rebekah, do not try anything stupid tonight or that one," he pointed at Bonnie, "or Matt will not survive the night."

"Thank you, for your time. This meeting is officially over and the sun should be setting soon. Shall we?" Klaus directed them toward the door. Rebekah was the first one out, followed by Bonnie and Kol. Klaus' hand was on Elena's arm preventing her from leaving before the others. She did not want to leave Damon but Klaus dragged her out of the office. He locked the door behind him.

When he emerged into the dusk he saw Elijah flanked by Stefan Salvatore and Isobel Fleming on either side of him. "Elijah, I wondered when you would make an appearance. Where is Caroline? I assume you brought her with you." Klaus looked for the luminescent blonde but did not see her anywhere.

Elijah shook his head. "Caroline is not with me, Klaus. She should not see you like this. It would destroy her."

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "I think you give Caroline too little credit, Brother."

"I believe that Caroline is your light to your darkness and that you will bring her nothing but misery," Elijah stated calmly.

"You know nothing of my relationship with Caroline, Elijah. You with your bloody morality. If she knew of the crimes you have committed she would not think so highly of you, either," Klaus snarled. "I do not know what has been going on while I have been away but now that I am back it ends now, Elijah." Klaus had to calm himself again. This was the plan. They were trying to distract him. 'Well, two can play at that game,' he thought.

Klaus pulled out his phone. "Rose, bring me Katerina."

Elijah's expression changed when Rose dragged Katerina forward. Klaus grabbed her by the arms and pulled her to him. He had his other arm around the human doppleganger. "Well, Elijah what will it be the human or the vampire. Or Katerina can be part of the sacrifice."

Elijah looked at Katherine. "Elijah, please, don't let him kill me," she begged. His gaze wavered to Elena, who refused to speak.

"The vampire," Elijah said, finally. Katherine came running up to him. Before she could kiss him, he took her face in her hands. Looking deeply into her eyes he said, "Leave. Do not ever come back to Mystic Falls, again." He released her and she was gone in a flash.

"Well, wasn't that romantic. Stupid but romantic." Klaus grinned as he held Elena to him. She wasn't struggling. However, she might try to bolt anyway.

"I would like to be the vampire sacrificed," Isobel informed Klaus. "She is my daughter. Don't you think it would be poetic? You strike me as the type of man who would strive for that kind of outcome."

Klaus smirked at Isobel, who smirked right back at him. If he had met this one before Caroline they might have had a bit of fun but what's done is done. "If that is your wish who am I to deny a mother her last wish on the day of her daughter's death."

Isobel stepped forward. "Now, all I need is my werewolf." Klaus pulled out his phone. Bring me Lockwood." Rose approached them with Tyler.

"No," Elijah protested.

"Oh, come on, Elijah. You were in his body for a couple of days. There is no reason to become sentimental."

"Niklaus, you know that I am not a sentimental person." Elijah began in his most reassuring tone. "However, I feel that the boy could be useful."

Klaus thought about that, "How so?"

Elijah smiled, "You want to make hybrids. I do believe that the boy could be a good minion."

"Hey," Tyler protested.

Klaus looked at Tyler thinking about the possibilities of having Lockwood as a lackey. After some deliberation, he smiled. "Yes, you are quite right. I think I will keep you alive." He smirked at Tyler, who glared at him.

"Rose, can you bring me the other werewolves," Klaus ordered.

Rose came back with three werewolves, who struggled against their restraints. She shoved them in front of Klaus. "Alright, Elijah, you can pick the replacement."

Elijah came to stand beside his brother, examining each werewolf in turn. "Hmm… I don't know. None of them really strike me as standing out. They do not seem to be good hybrid material." Elijah turned to Klaus, "What are you looking for in a werewolf to sacrifice?"

Klaus grinned, "Well, it would nice if they showed an adequate amount of fear. It's really no fun if they just lay there."

Elijah went back to examining each of the werewolves. "If fear is what you're looking for they all smell scared to me. I really do not know. Maybe, you should allow Elena to decide. After all, she is part of this sacrifice. Should she not be allowed to pick who dies with her?"

Klaus turned to Elena, "Me?" She frowned. "Why would I do that?"

"Because it's your special day, dear. You are the star of tonight's performance." Klaus had come to stand before her, rocking on his feet. "Now, come, let's make a decision. Shall we?" He led Elena to the werewolves.

Klaus pulled her hair back and whispered in her ear. "Now, which one do you like the best?"

Elena looked at the werewolves. She really did not want to do this. Jules snarled at her. "You stink of vampire. What, are you one of their whores?"

Elena turned her head and whispered in Klaus' ear. He grinned down at her. "Excellent choice. And don't worry I will make him suffer." He patted Elena's shoulder before calling to Rose. "Rose, Elena chose that one." Klaus pointed at Jules' boyfriend.

"No," Jules screamed as Rose dragged her boyfriend off. "I will make you regret this, you little bitch," she hissed at Elena.

"Actually, my dear, you won't because she will be dead soon. Then again, you will be, too." Jules glared at Klaus, who had stated this chirpily. Nothing could change his mood. "Now, let us begin."

Klaus dragged Elena into a circle which had been made in the parking lot. Isobel had been placed in another. And Rose shoved the male werewolf into a third. "We are ready for you, Bonnie," Klaus called. Bonnie stepped forward with a sick look on her face, a Grimoire in her arms. She was pale as she looked at Elena.

"Bonnie?" Elena gasped.

"He has my Grams," Bonnie whimpered.

"Oh, Bonnie." Elena looked at her friend wishing that there was a solution to this drama in which they could all escape unharmed. However, she knew that was all but impossible. Both the girls were crying.

"Enough of the melodrama. Let's begin the show." Klaus snapped. "Or I swear I will beginning killing people in that truck. I will not stop until you do what I asked of you."

One hour earlier:

Caroline was in the Salvatore Boarding house. "What time is it?" She asked John. She had been asking this question every five minutes for the past two hours. She kept pacing the floor. She could feel that it was nearing sundown. It would be necessary to go downstairs soon and have John lock her in for the night. For some reason she could not sit down. She felt like something was going to go wrong and that her friends needed her help.

Instead, Caroline was here with Elena's father pacing the floor. They had covered things. In theory, Elena would still be here tomorrow. However, there were others. She had called her Mother over and over again after Elijah left. She was not answering her phone. She had also tried Tyler. There was no answer there either. Finally, Caroline had tried to call Carol Lockwood, who was not picking up either.

'Why was no one answering their phones?" Caroline wondered. That was when she had begun to pace the floor and ask what time it was. John had been keeping an eye on when sunset would come. He had found that he had been spelled inside the house to prevent him from going out to do something foolish. They had also found out when someone else came to the home that there was a spell to keep others out.

Neither Caroline nor John was happy about being stuck inside the house. They did not have anything against each other particularly. It was that they wanted to be out there helping those they cared for rather than standing around this stupid house.

John got up. "Do you want something to eat?" he asked Caroline. Caroline shook her head. She could not think of food, right now. John nodded. He was not hungry either. He just needed to do something. Anything, really. He was going nuts thinking about his daughter. His daughter was about to be sacrificed by a crazy vampire and he could not do anything to stop him.

Although John had had little opportunity to be Elena's father that did not mean that he did not love his daughter. That is why he had left her in the care of his brother and sister-in-law. He thought she would be safe. And she had been until Miranda and Grayson had died last year. Now, John felt like the worst father on the face of the earth. He was supposed to protect her and now all he could do was wait for her to die and pray that the spell worked.

It was not easy making the decision to die but knowing that John would be saving his little girl he knew it was the right decision. He had written a letter while Caroline paced the floor. He really wanted to tell the girl to stop. She was making him nervous. However, he knew that her father was missing and apparently countless others. If the frantic phone calls were any indication.

John picked up a picture of Elena at her junior prom. She was standing with Matt, Caroline, Bonnie and Tyler and they were all smiling in the photo. None of these young people would be the same after the events of today. John was certain of that one fact if there was nothing else he was certain of in this world. "What time is it?" Caroline asked again.

John looked at his watch, "Thirty minutes until sundown," John replied. "We should probably take you downstairs."

Caroline nodded and began to walk downstairs with him when her phone rang in her pocket. She pulled it out and the screen read Rebekah. "Hello," she said.

"Caroline, are you still at the Salvatores?" Rebekah sounded panicky. Caroline's breath hitched. Something was wrong. She knew that something was wrong. "What's happening?" Caroline couldn't keep the tremor out of her voice as she looked at John.

"Klaus has Matt, Tyler, your parents, Elena's Aunt Jenna and Jeremy Gilbert. I do not know how many others." Rebekah was crying.

This really worried Caroline. She had known the blonde to do many things. But crying was not one of them. "Caroline," Rebekah said. "I can't stop him. He threatened to kill Matt if I did anything. He also has Bonnie. He is making her perform the spell. Somehow he has her grandmother."

Caroline was now sitting on the staircase staring into space. How could he do that? What had happened in the last month? Was this who he really was? Had she fallen in love with a monster? She could not let him hurt all those people that she loved. This had to stop, now.

"Caroline?" Rebekah whimpered. "Are you still there?"

Caroline nodded silently and then she remembered that Rebekah could not see her. "Yes, I'm still here." She could barely concentrate on the conversation.

"I have seen Nik do really horrible things. I have done really horrible things before but this is bad, Caroline." Rebekah was sitting in the park that she and Matt had gone to the first day that they worked together. She was sitting on top of the picnic table. Kol kept pacing about. He had been like that for an hour now. His hands were in his hair and he was cursing the day that Nik was born. He had attacked a jogger and now the poor man was laying in bits.

Rebekah really hoped that there were not witnesses. She was in no mood to compel anyone. She would probably end up killing whoever that unlucky individual was, too. "Caroline, I know that Elijah does not want you there. But this is not the time to listen to him. He has always been far too practical. I think if Nik will listen to any one it will be you."

Kol was now chasing down another jogger. Rebekah watched with little emotion. Maybe, they should go home and get Nik Jr. In all this chaos the puppy had been forgotten. Unfortunately, in the mood that Kol was in he might hurt his pet. Rebekah knew that if he did he would regret it later. She made a mental note to compel someone to go to their home and take care of the dog until this night was over.

"Okay," Caroline replied. "But what will we do if he won't listen to me."

Rebekah sighed. "Caroline, you know what we must do if Nik will not back down." She was watching Kol as he finished ripping another jogger limb from limb. Caroline was quiet on her side of the line. Rebekah wondered if the girl had changed her mind.

Finally, Caroline found her resolve. "Fine, but I'm not strong enough. So, you or Kol will have to kill him. If it comes to that." Caroline's voice was barely audible as she spoke to Rebekah but the Original could hear her.

Kol could also hear Caroline. After Rebekah hung up he told her that they must go home. He needed to clean up. There was no way that he would allow his Bonnie to see him like this. With blood sprayed across his face and clothes unless it was his brother's. They walked home in silence.

Rebekah was the first to speak. "Which one of us will it be, Kol? Do you want to kill Nik or should I? Hopefully, Caroline can convince him that this sacrifice is a stupid thing but if she cannot stop him I suppose we will have to put an end to him once and for all?"

Kol turned to her and she saw a gleam in his eye that she hadn't seen in over a month. "Rock, paper, scissors." he suggested.

Rebekah felt her lips twitch as more tears ran down her cheeks. "Sure." A children's game would decide which of the two siblings would end their older brother's life. It seemed fitting in a way. They took their hands and on the count of three, drew. After the winner was declared they went into their home, rather Nik's home. Rebekah corrected herself because she doubted that after tonight they would ever be welcome here again.

Nik Jr. ran down the stairs upon hearing the door open. Kol picked him. "Are you hungry, my lovely?" Kol asked the dog, carrying him into the kitchen. Rebekah wondered how Caroline was dealing with the decision that they had just made. She could only hope that the girl was not like she was. For Rebekah knew that if she had to choose between her heart and cold, harsh reality that she would always choose her heart.

After hanging up the phone Caroline turned to John, "What's going on, Caroline?" John was afraid of the answer. "Did he kill Elena?"

Caroline shook her head. "No, he hasn't." 'At least, I hope not,' Caroline added silently. "We need to get me locked up." She gestured for John to open the cell. John turned around and Caroline hit him, causing him to black out. "I am, so, so sorry." Caroline took the key and opened the door. She picked john up and placed him on the bed. She was grateful that they had not changed anything since Mr. Brown had had to stay down there. She raced upstairs and grabbed some food and a couple of bottles of water. She was not sure when any one would be coming back. Or if they were going to return at all. She left the keys within reaching distance if he saw them.

After that Caroline was running through the night. She had to admit that since turning running felt so much better than it had ever felt when she was human. Was that part of the draw to Klaus? The freedom of running through the night. Or was it the power that he wanted?

As she ran through the streets of Mystic Falls she was pushing herself to her full endurance. She was hoping she could make it in time. She thought back on better times as she ran. She saw herself at age five with her parents. They had gone to a fair and she had begged her dad to let her ride a pony. Her mother was worried that she would fall off but her father said he would make sure that she was fine. That was one of the best days of her life. She thought of when she and Matt had gone on their first date. She wanted to see a romantic comedy and he wanted to see an action flick. They had compromised and had gone to the 5 pm showing of the movie Caroline wanted to see. Then they went to the 8 pm showing of the movie that Matt wanted to see. They went for ice cream after and Matt had kissed her on her front porch. That had been a great night.

Caroline couldn't even count all the memories that she had of Elena and Bonnie and her. The junior prom was a good one. Caroline's date had gotten food poisoning at the last minute. So, Bonnie, Elena, Matt and Tyler showed up to be her dates. They had had a great time and only Bonnie ended up throwing up in the parking lot. Tyler had told Caroline that he loved her and she thought he was drunk. She and Matt had spent the night together. Although, they had been broken up for two months.

As for everyone else there was no way that Caroline was just going to stand by while Klaus killed all of them. She had hoped that Elijah's plan to distract Klaus would work but obviously she had been wrong. Caroline was also worried that Klaus would turn on Elijah.

Elijah been there for Caroline for the past month and they had grown close. Caroline tried not to think about how close they had gotten during that month. Elijah had talked Caroline into a peaceful slumber many a night with his arm around her. One night Caroline had grabbed a couple of bottles of champagne from the Salvatores' stash. She was determined that she was going to make Elijah loosen up. After Caroline's tenth glass and Elijah's fiftieth they were both quite buzzed. They had been smiling happily at each other. When their bodies began to move toward one another. Before either really knew what they were doing their lips were pressed together and Elijah's suit was coming off one piece at a time. Caroline's tank came off and her pyjama shorts hit the floor. Elijah had looked down at Caroline with a happy smile. Caroline had also been smiling as she unbuttoned his pants. Then as soon as things had started Elijah was suddenly on the other side of the room. "Caroline," he said formally. "I should not have let this go this far." He swiftly collected his clothes and then left the safety of the room.

The next morning they did not talk about what had happened at breakfast. "Wild night, huh?" Damon had inquired raising his eyebrows, signature smirk on his face. Elena had elbowed him.

"Not really," Caroline had muttered into her coffee cup. Elijah had busied himself with the newspaper and had begun to talk about world events. Now, Klaus was back and there were too many things going on to even think about what was happening or had happened between her and Elijah. All Caroline knew was that she had to stop Klaus. She just hoped she wasn't too late.

On the way Caroline had stopped long enough to rip a few stakes off a white picket fence. She began to run again picking up the pace. When she arrived in the parking lot of 'Amp Burger she saw Kol's semi-truck. 'If I were an Original hybrid where would I keep my hostages?' Caroline smirked. She walked up to the lone vampire who was guarding the truck.

"Klaus needs to speak to you," Caroline told the vampire, who nodded and began to walk away. He did not have time to react when Caroline shoved the stake into his back. 'Sorry,' she thought. She had never killed anything other than a spider before. Now, she was dragging a dead vampire out of sight. When that was done she opened the door to the truck as silently as possible. She looked over to the group of vampires and witches who were watching the drama. They did not turn when she began to slide the door open.

She screamed when she felt a slim arm wrap around her and a hand move over her mouth.

"Who are you?" a voice demanded. If you try to scream, I will kill you."

Caroline turned to face the woman who had grabbed her. "I am Caroline Forbes and my parents are in this truck."

The other woman nodded. "I see, Caroline, and what did you plan on doing about that?"

Caroline was trying decide if she could take the vampire. She decided against a fight. "Do you really want Klaus to become a hybrid?"

The woman shook her. "No. How do you plan on stopping him?"

"I'm going to talk to him."

The other woman chuckled at this. "Oh, yes, talking to him. I am sure that will work out well in your favor."

"Look, I can buy you time. All I ask is that you get this truck out of here and let whoever is in there, out. Then you can go anywhere you want. Please." Caroline was desperate.

The woman looked down at the girl. If she helped her she would be betraying Klaus, again. However, the thought of being there when he became a hybrid was not something she wanted to experience either. "Alright, I have to get my friend."

Caroline waited, holding her breath as the woman spoke to her friend and they walked over toward her. "Good luck, Caroline," Rose said before she and Trevor jumped into the front seats of the truck. Trevor began to drive out of the lot at top speed.

Klaus' head whipped up from where he was kneeling about to rip the werewolf's heart out. He snarled but before he could give the order to the others to stop the stupid fools, Trevor and Rose, he saw a blonde head shoving her way through the group of witches and vampires. She staked three of his vampires before one of his witches had her sinking to her knees screaming in anguish. "Enough," he shouted when two of the vampires grabbed her and a third reached forward to rip her head off.

"Bring her to me," Klaus demanded. He heard Elijah curse under his breath and step forward. When Caroline was directly in front of him he pulled her to her feet. He stroked her hair out of her face and looked deeply into her eyes. "Caroline," he whispered. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the werewolf jump to his feet and run. Then he saw Isobel grab Elena and flash out of sight.

Klaus growled. His hold on Caroline's shoulders tightened. He only snapped out of his rage when he heard Caroline calling to him. "Klaus, Klaus, Klaus."

Klaus looked down at her. "Yes, love."

Caroline's eyes were brimming with unshed tears. "You have to stop. You cannot do this. These are my friends my family. Please, Klaus, be the man I know you can be. Not the monster they think you are."

**Whoa. That was a long chapter. Did you survive? Are you looking forward to part three because it's coming next Thursday and then we'll slow down a little before we speed up a bit. I will see you then, thank you to WeasleysGroupie, DeepieNtinaBFFs and to those of you who faved, followed and are reading this story. **

**Love, **

**LL**


	27. Chapter 27

**Hello my lovely and loyal fans/readers/fellow fanfiction lovers. Are you ready for the end… of the trilogy, not the story. **** Enjoy and please, review, favorite and follow whenever you are bored and not hallucinating that are crazed English professors screaming at you that you are a worthless, worthless hack. Oh, mercy. I beg for mercy. Oh, the pain. Oh, it hurts. Writer sniffles into Kleenex emphatically, dramatically and is generally amused with her own level of sarcasm. Enjoy! **

Chapter 27: The Sacrifice: Part III

"Caroline, love, as much as I would like to discuss this now is not the best time." Klaus waved for his vampires to scour the area in search of the wayward mother and daughter, duo of Isobel and Elena. He returned his attention to the girl in his arms. "We can talk tomorrow at home."

Caroline was shaking her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. "No, Klaus. We are going to talk about this, right now."

Klaus stared down into Caroline's wide blue eyes and felt a pang of guilt. He really shouldn't have taken her parents but he was hoping that that would cause Caroline to come which she had. Unfortunately, she was now providing the distraction that he did not need tonight. He could not afford to waste another minute. He had to kill the doppelgänger now. He could not allow Caroline to stop him.

Klaus' face set in a blank expression and Caroline felt horrified. "NO. NO. NO. KLAUS. PLEASE. PLEASE. NOT ELENA. KLAUS." She screamed hysterically.

Klaus looked over her head at Elijah. "Take her somewhere safe. She should be transitioning soon." Klaus handed Caroline over to Elijah, who disappeared into the night.

Caroline was still screaming as Elijah dragged her into the Mikaelson mansion. Rebekah and Kol came downstairs to see what all the commotion was about. "What's going on? Rebekah asked, following Elijah as he dragged a kicking and screaming Caroline through the house and down to the basement.

Elijah did not turn to his sister. "What were you thinking, Rebekah? I stated specifically that I did not want Caroline to be a part of this." He grabbed the shackles and had Caroline restrained within seconds. She was still screaming and crying. Part of this was now due to the transition. However, the majority was due to Caroline's fury.

Rebekah turned and left the room. Elijah could bloody well think what he wanted to. It was worth a try. She and Kol needed to return to the sacrifice. As Rebekah re-entered the living room she found Kol. "I have to take Nik Jr. somewhere where he will be taken care of in case we do not return." Kol patted his dog.

Rebekah did not know where they could take him as they ran through the streets. When they saw a semi barreling down the residential streets Rebekah came to stand in the middle of the road. She caught the driver's eye. "Stop," she demanded. In a flash she was opening the back door and Kol was at her side.

Rebekah climbed into the back and began to untie Matt. "Are you alright?"

Matt looked at Rebekah. "I'm fine. But Klaus has Elena."

"I know," Rebekah said. Rose appeared at the back door of the truck. Rebekah jumped out and grabbed the other vampire by the neck, lifting her off the ground. "Where were you taking them?" she snarled.

Rose pointed at her throat indicating that she couldn't speak. Rebekah loosened her grip. "A girl named Caroline asked me to take these people somewhere and let them out." Rebekah stared at Rose for a moment. She could not think of a reason that Nik would tell Rose to say that.

"We need to take them somewhere safe." Rebekah thought about it.

Kol reminded her of his presence. "Sister, we are running out of time."

Carol Lockwood spoke up. "You can take everyone to my home. We have plenty of space and vampires cannot come in unless invited."

Rebekah nodded. "Yes, that is where we will go. Kol, give me Nik Jr."

"Good-bye, my pretty. Bye, Bekah." With that Kol disappeared into the night while Rebekah climbed into the truck to sit with Matt. Rose closed the back door and they were off to the Lockwood's.

Back at the Mikaelsons' Caroline had calmed down and was now breathing deeply trying to stop the transition from happening quite so quickly. "How could you take his side?" she yelled at Elijah, who was sitting in front of her.

Elijah grabbed her, holding her face close to his. "Because I love you, you stupid woman. You never know when to give up, do you?"

Caroline glared at him. "Not when it comes to my friends and family. Maybe, you've spent too much time with Klaus. Maybe he rubbed off on you."

Elijah nodded, "Yes, I deserve that. But you, Caroline, are the only one of those people back there I care for and I was not about to allow something to happen to you."

"That is not your decision to make."

The two stared each other down. Elijah had never been this furious with anyone in his entire life. This girl. It had taken him some time to understand why she had such an effect on Klaus but he never expected to find himself in the same predicament. "Caroline, you will stay in this basement until tomorrow morning. Do you understand me?"

When she nodded Elijah pushed himself to his feet and walked upstairs. There were still things he had to take care of and he could not bear to think of Caroline getting caught in the crossfire.

In the parking lot of 'Amp Burger Klaus was screaming at his minions to bloody well find the doppelgänger and her bitch mother. He had killed the three vampires, and the witch, who had dared to hurt his Caroline. Now, he was enraged as he waited for the doppelgänger to be returned. Two of his vampires came forward with a sleeping doppelgänger and her traitorous mother. Greta, one of his favorite witches, walked ahead of them.

"Good. Now, we can begin, again." Klaus grabbed Jules by the neck and threw her into a circle. The doppelgänger was laid in another circle. Before Isobel could be placed back in the third, Klaus waved for her to be brought to him.

"Wake them up." Klaus ordered Greta, who lowered her head and began to chant. Elena and Isobel woke up. Klaus turned Isobel to face her daughter. "Let this be a lesson to those who would seek to betray me." Klaus shoved his hand into Isobel's chest and then jerked her heart out. He flung it on the ground.

Elena sunk to her knees crying, silently. Klaus then turned. "Who would like to replace her?"

Mr. Brown stepped forward to everyone's surprise. They thought he was still in the truck but he had made his way back after being dropped off at the Lockwood estate. "My life has been over for some time. I would like to rest now." Mr. Brown stated, calmly.

Klaus nodded, "Alright, come here, mate." He reached out and snapped Mr. Brown's neck and then carried him over to the third circle. "Now, Bonnie. Shall we start again?"

Bonnie gritted her teeth and began to chant, again. Stefan suddenly moved forward and snapped Greta's neck. Klaus turned to Stefan, "Was that necessary?"

Stefan shrugged and smiled at Klaus. "I don't really think any of this is necessary." Bonnie had stopped chanting until Klaus glared at her. "But you know what is necessary? Is that you stop. Now."

"Oh, I don't think so, mate." Klaus was now standing face to face with Stefan. He did not notice that Damon was making his way toward Elena. "Tyler, bite Stefan here, will you?"

Tyler looked startled. "No,"

Klaus sped over to Tyler. "Bite him," He bellowed looking into Tyler's eyes. Before Tyler could think, he had grabbed Stefan and bitten him. Damon just stood next to the circle that Elena was inside staring at his brother. "Now, Damon. If you want your brother to be cured, I suggest you step away from the girl."

Damon looked from Stefan to Elena. "Don't do it. Save Elena," Stefan cried.

Klaus smirked and before Damon could think further on it, Klaus snapped his neck. "Where were we?" He looked down at Jules. "Oh, yes, I was about to kill you." He grabbed Jules by the neck and dragged her onto the altar that he had had built earlier.

Right when he had his hand in her chest, a drunken teenager stepped into the parking lot. "Dude, can I get a cheeseburger to go." He asked recognizing one of the mangers of 'Amp Burger. Klaus growled and ripped Jules' heart out and flung it at the kid.

"Okay, I take that as a no." The kid ran from the parking lot.

Klaus growled and then grabbed Mr. Brown. He dragged the other man onto the altar. When Mr. Brown woke Klaus fed him some human blood and then pulled his heart out. Finally, it was Elena's turn. He came to walk her to the altar but she ignored the hand he held out to her. "Thank you, Elena." He whispered into her ear. He watched Stefan look on in horror. When he was done he let her drop to the ground.

Soon Klaus could feel the transition pangs coming on. It was marvelous. This was much easier than it had been when he was in Caroline's body. He had little time to enjoy the sensation of bliss before Bonnie began a new spell. Now, there was nothing but pain. The witch would regret this. There was a figure in front of him and he could barely make it out due to the pain.

Kol emerged through the blurry vision and soon he was on top of Klaus reaching inside his brother's chest wrapping his hand around his chest. "Where is Shelia Bennett?"

"You'll never find her without my help," Klaus gasped.

"Let's try this again," Kol lowered his free hand down Klaus' body and Klaus gasped in pain. "If you ever want to fornicate with Caroline again, you will tell me where Shelia Bennett is."

Klaus glared at his little brother. 'Surely, he wouldn't," he thought just as Kol began to tug.

"I buried her in the cemetery with the rest of the Bennett family." Kol turned to Stefan, who began to run in that direction.

"Thank you," Kol said and continued to pull his brother's heart out of his chest. "Sorry, about this Nik but we really can't have you doing this again."

Klaus caught sight of Elijah, who had just arrived and was watching the scene. "Good-bye, Brother," he said closing his eyes. "Always and forever, 'Lijah," were his last words while his lips quirked upward.

Klaus waited for the darkness to consume him and for his heart to be removed. He laid very still and then realized that he no longer felt Kol's weight on top of him. When he opened his eyes, Kol was lying beside him, a dagger in his back. Kol's face was gray and any sign of life was gone. The Bennett witch was screaming as Elijah grabbed his younger brothers and was gone.

Bonnie was left in the parking lot with the body of her friend and her friend's boyfriend. She managed to drag herself over to Elena pulling the girl's head into her lap. Damon was coming to.

"Damon," Bonnie moaned. He looked over and saw Elena lifeless body. Damon crawled over to them and looked down at Bonnie. "What happened?"

"Kol was trying to kill Klaus and Elijah stopped him."

"Damn it," Damon cried, getting to his feet. He reached down and pulled Bonnie to her feet. Then he knelt down and pulled Elena into his arms. We need to get out of here.

"I know," Bonnie replied. Tyler transitioned and I don't know where he is."

They got into an abandoned car and Damon hotwired it. He drove them back to his house. When he got there Stefan was already home. He had found Shelia just in time so that he could feed her his blood and keep her from dying. Bonnie hugged Stefan and then wrapped her arms around her grandmother.

Damon had taken Elena upstairs and was watching her sleep.

Stefan went downstairs to check on Caroline and found John instead. Stefan let John out of the cell and walked with him upstairs. They stood in the doorway watching Damon as he sat on the side of his bed holding one of Elena's hands. When she woke up Damon looked at her eyes. "She's still human," he called. Stefan and John were relieved.

The couple on the bed embraced as Stefan went downstairs to check on Bonnie and her Grams. He informed Bonnie that her friend was awake. She ran up the stairs. "Oh, Elena. I am so sorry."

Elena shook her head. "It's okay, Bonnie. I'm okay. We're okay." She held out her arms to her friend, who climbed on the bed and they hugged.

"Group hug," Damon announced embracing the girls. "Now, who's up for a threesome?" Both girls looked at each other and then at Damon. They were wearing matching smiles as they each grabbed a pillow and began to beat Damon with all the energy they had left. Damon grabbed a pillow and soon there were feathers everywhere.

Downstairs Stefan was on the phone with Rebekah. He informed her of the events during the sacrifice. She informed him of how things were going at the Lockwood's. Apparently, Tyler had come home and Rebekah had shot him. Stefan informed Rebekah that he had been bitten. She had told him that she would do her best to find out if she could find her brothers and get him the cure.

In the meantime everyone at the Lockwood estate was in a state of stress. Bill and Liz had found anything that could be used as a weapon in case anyone came to attack the home. Carol had begun to pop pills. Alaric and Jenna had raided the liquor cabinet. Rebekah had spent much of the time on the estate with Matt, talking about what to do next.

When Stefan had informed Rebekah that Elena was alive she had come into the living room to inform the others. Jenna came over to the couch on which Jeremy had come to reside. The aunt and nephew embraced. Alaric came and sat with them. He and Jenna seemed to have been growing closer in the past couple of hours. Rebekah wondered where her brothers were at that moment.

Back at the Mikaelsons' Elijah and Kol had been yelling at each other for the last hour. "How could you, Elijah?" Kol thundered. The minute Elijah had removed the dagger and Kol recovered, he had launched himself at his brother. "I thought Nik was bad but you…" Kol was growling, readying himself to tackle Elijah again.

"Calm yourself, Kol. Niklaus is evil, but he is our brother." Elijah poured himself a drink and then poured Kol one. Kol took the glass but seriously considered the idea of cracking it over his brother's head.

"After what he did last night I cannot believe that you are forgiving him so easily." Kol had taken a seat on a sofa but was still fuming. This was ridiculous. If he or Bekah had done something so completely stupid as what Nik did last night it would be daggers for them. However, Nik was allowed to get away with bloody murder, literally.

"Kol, I am, in no way, condoning Niklaus' actions of last night. However, Elena Gilbert is still alive. Bonnie Bennett's grandmother was rescued. And everyone else who was captured has made it out alive. With the exceptions of that horrible werewolf woman and Mr. Brown. It is unfortunate that we lost Mr. Brown. He was not who I had presumed him to be." Elijah shook his head frowning. It had surprised him the gentleman had chosen to sacrifice himself.

Kol held up his glass. "To Mr. Brown. We can only hope that he has found the peace that he sought." Elijah raised his own glass in salute to their fallen crew member.

When dawn arrived Elijah went downstairs, pink robe in hand and gathered a sleeping Caroline into his arms. He flashed upstairs and dressed her before she woke. She began to yawn and stretch when Elijah had parked his car in the Forbes' driveway.

Liz and Bill were waiting for them. Elijah had called to let them know that he was bringing Caroline. When she looked out the windshield and saw her parents, unharmed she had pushed the car door open and jumped out. She threw an arm around each of her parents and began to cry. Bill spoke, "We're okay, baby. We're going to be okay."

Liz was nodding, relieved that her daughter had made it through the night. Elijah had had to explain to Caroline's parents why she could not come home until dawn and neither had been too happy but they were relieved that Caroline was in one piece. They would figure out the supernatural part later.

Elijah went in search of his brother but did find him in the woods. When he went home he found Rebekah chasing Klaus up the stairs. "Nik, he needs the cure. Now!" Rebekah shouted, as she followed her brother up the stairs to his bedroom. Elijah decided to follow to try to prevent any more daggerings in the near future.

When Elijah stepped into Klaus' bedroom he found that the room had been trashed. Klaus, however, did not even blink an eye. He simply went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. "Nik, please," Rebekah was shouting. Klaus did not reply.

After Klaus came back out of shower he went into the hall and began to look through Elijah's suit collection. Elijah rolled his eyes, 'Maybe Rebekah would be borrowing his clothes next.'

Klaus opened a drawer and pulled out a pair of Elijah's boxers and pulled them on and then began to pull on the suit he had found. "Sorry, about this, Elijah. But it appears that my clothes are in the backyard and I need something to wear today." Klaus straightened the tie. "Bekah, I need a woman's opinion. How do I look?"

Rebekah glared at him. "Cure. Nik."

Klaus rolled his eyes and grinned at his sister. He turned, heading down the stairs with Rebekah and Elijah following him. He only stopped for a moment when he saw Kol with a lighter in one hand and a sketch in the other. There was a metal wastebasket beside him. Kol stared at Klaus as he took a sketch of Caroline. He lit it watching it burn and then throwing the remnants into the wastebasket.

Klaus frowned but he did not have time to punish Kol yet. He had places to go. Women to talk to. Hybrids to make. Klaus went into the kitchen and pulled a bottle of water from the refrigerator. He uncapped the bottle and poured the contents down the sink. After that he sank his fangs into his arm allowed the blood to leak into the bottle. When he was done he handed it Rebekah, who disappeared into the early day.

"Where are you off to this morning?" Elijah inquired watching as his brother walked back through the living room and back into his bedroom. After a quick search he found a box and shoved in into his pocket. Klaus turned to go back downstairs and found his brother blocking him.

Klaus placed his hands on Elijah's shoulders. "Elijah, I do believe that I have not properly thanked you for taking care of Caroline while I was gone." Before Elijah could form a response Klaus pulled a dagger from his trousers and jammed it into Elijah's heart. "Thank you," he whispered into Elijah's ear. He locked the door before walking down the stairs.

"Kol, may I have a quick word with you upstairs." Kol followed Klaus up the stairs and Klaus opened the door to his bedroom. Kol saw Elijah laying on the floor. When he turned around he knew what was coming next. The dagger slide in and Kol slid to the floor beside Elijah. Klaus sighed before walking to the door and locking it once more.

Klaus sauntered down the streets of Mystic Falls. He had decided to walk at a human pace. When he arrived on Caroline's front porch he found that the sheriff's car was gone. He knocked on the door lacing his fingers behind his back. Caroline answered the door. Bonnie was standing behind her friend, Grimoire in hand.

"What do you want, Klaus? Haven't you done enough?" Caroline had her arms folded over her chest. And if looks could kill Klaus would be exploding into flames.

Klaus just smiled at the girl, "I brought you a present." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a box. When he moved to hand it to her his hand could not make it into the house. He frowned, trying again.

"You are not invited into my home anymore." Caroline informed Klaus, who just stared at the blonde girl.

"Why?" Klaus asked, more to himself than to Caroline.

Caroline scoffed. "Why?" She turned to Bonnie. "He asks why? Do you think it could be more obvious? Is there a spell in that book that would make the things that he has done tattoo themselves to his body." Caroline turned to Klaus. "Although, there probably would not be enough room on your body."

"Caroline I-," Klaus began.

"No, you have done enough. You killed one of my best friends last night. You tried to kill Bonnie's grandmother. You refused to listen to me. You showed me who you really are, Klaus and I hate you. I don't ever want to see again. If you ever come near me again or ever try to speak to me again I swear I will find a way to end your miserable existence." With that said, Caroline slammed the door shut in Klaus' face.

Klaus stood there on the porch. He had expected her to be upset, yes. He could not say that she was wrong to be angry but he wanted to her to move on now. There were things that needed to be done and he wanted Caroline on his arm. He set the box down in front of the door and began to walk home. He needed to think. He also needed a drink. Klaus wondered how long he would have to wait for Caroline's forgiveness. He was sure that in time she would come to understand that the doppelgänger's death was necessary.

When Klaus arrived at his house he found Damon Salvatore sitting on his porch. Damon had a bottle of bourbon in his hand and a lost expression on his face. "Come to kill me, Salvatore. Get in line. Oh, wait. That's right. I can't be killed." Klaus smirked at Damon, who looked at him with a blank expression.

Damon's lips quirked. "Why would I be here to kill you? I'm free again. That girl was putting a serious crimp in my style. In order to be with her I had to have my humanity on. And let me tell you something I was beginning to become as big of a goody-goody as Stefan. And that is not me. I am not one of the white hat brigade." Damon sat back and handed Klaus the bottle of bourbon. Klaus sat down beside his least favorite Salvatore and took a gulp from the bottle. "How about we forget this place and get on the road. I'll even let you drive."

Klaus turned to Damon, who was waving his car keys with a drunken grin. "You might be right, Damon. We might both need a change of scenery." Klaus grabbed Damon keys and found himself leaping into the driver's seat, Damon into the passenger's side. Before starting the car. Klaus took Elijah's tie off and threw it onto the gravel. Then he pushed the gas pedal enjoying the feel of the car as it sped backward out of the driveway. He gave the steering wheel a sharp twist and then they were speeding out of Mystic Falls.

"Where are we going?" Damon called.

"Georgia," Klaus replied. "I'm thinking we stop by a couple of college parties before the real work begins."

Damon grinned, "I like how you think, hybrid boy."

At the Salvatore's Elena was staring out the window mournfully. Damon had told her that he needed to keep her safe. That meant getting the psycho hybrid the hell out of dodge. Damon had held Elena while she cried and they had crawled into bed and spent two hours trying to extract the last bits of comfort they would have for the next couple of months. At least Elena hoped it would only be months before Damon would find a way to put Klaus out of commission and come home.

After Damon left, Elena found a letter from John. She found another reason to cry. Bonnie, Caroline, Matt and Tyler had come over to see her and now they were sitting on Damon's bed trying to figure out what to do for the next five weeks. Caroline had gone over how much money they had compiled and found that they needed to make another five thousand dollars.

Rebekah came into the room. "Nik, just called me. He is officially on the road with Damon and I need to go home and undagger Elijah and Kol."

Bonnie looked up when she heard that Kol had been daggered, again. "I'll come with you."

"Caroline, will you be joining us?" Rebekah asked.

Caroline shook her head. "No, I'm going to stay with 'Lena."

Rebekah shrugged. "I expect you all to be at work tomorrow. I will put a sign up stating that there was a death in the family and that we will re-open tomorrow." Everyone stared at her.

Tyler responded, "You do not seriously expect us to come there after last night?"

Rebekah smiled at him. "Nik is gone. He will not return any time soon and we have work to do. You don't want to sit around moping for the rest of the summer, do you? Besides I went by the store. The construction crew should have the pool up and running by tomorrow afternoon."

Matt spoke up, "I think that Elena is probably going to need an extra day off."

"Of course," Rebekah nodded. With that she walked out of the bedroom with Bonnie.

Matt handed Elena a letter. She looked up at him questioningly. Matt shrugged, "The letter is from Mr. Brown to his daughter. He gave it to me before he left. He asked if I could try to find her and give it to her. But I thought that you might want to do it to get your mind off of what happened last night."

Elena nodded, "I can look on the internet and see if I can find her." Elena's friends, one by one said good-bye and left Elena to her thoughts.

Stefan came in after a while to ask Elena if she was hungry. She shook her head. Stefan sat down on the bed with her. "He'll be back. I know my brother and he wouldn't leave you like this."

Elena nodded. She was still looking at the letter in her hands. "What's that?" Stefan asked, pointing at the letter.

"I guess Mr. Brown had a daughter and he wanted her to have this letter."

"Is there an address?" Stefan looked at the envelope but didn't see one.

Elena thought about it, "I think that he wanted the letter hand delivered."

"Hmm…" Stefan thought about this. "We can look on the internet." They got up and went downstairs. Stefan turned on the computer that Damon had bought a month ago. An hour and a half later they found a listing for a Sarah Ann Brown in Phoenix, Arizona. Stefan pulled out his phone and called the local airport. Elena went upstairs to pack. Within an hour they had gotten into Stefan's car and were driving to the airport. Once they arrived they went through the usual process before boarding a flight at 2 pm. They arrived at 3:30 pm and were on their way to get into a rental car. Stefan had avoided anything that said hybrid.

Soon they were on the road to meet Miss Brown. Elena knocked on the door of the small house which was listed as the girl's address. Elena was surprised to see a girl her age, three inches taller, with blond hair which reached her waist. She looked from Elena to Stefan, her blue eyes narrowed, slightly.

"Can I help you with something?" Sarah asked looking a little confused.

"Sarah Ann Brown?" Stefan inquired with a smile.

Sarah smiled back, "Yes."

"We're friends of your father's. May we come in?" Stefan inquired.

Sarah's face closed off. She began to shake her head and close the door. Elena shoved her foot forward, stopping the door. Sarah gave her a hard look. "Sarah, your father passed away last night. But he left this letter with a friend of mine and he asked if I could give it to you."

Sarah's face contorted. "My Dad is dead." She let go of the door and moved aside. "Come in," She said staring at the floor.

Elena walked into the home. There was a small sofa, a battered coffee table and an easy chair in the living room. There was no wall separating the dining room from the living room. Elena spotted a small fan blowing air while all the windows were open to cut the stifling heat.

Sarah sat down in the easy chair while Stefan and Elena sat on the sofa. Elena handed Sarah the letter. She stared at the envelope. "How did you say you knew my Dad?"

Stefan answered, "We were working at a fast food restaurant for the summer and your father was one of our co-workers."

"Oh," Sarah said still clutching the unopened letter. "I haven't seen my father since I was three. My Mom got a divorce after he went to jail. She's at work, right now. She's a waitress. It's not a great job but it keeps the bills paid. Kind of…" She looked at the letter. "Can you read it?" Sarah held the letter out to Stefan.

Stefan took it and opened it. "My, Dearest Sarah," Stefan began. "If you are reading this that means that I am dead. I want you to know how sorry I am for not being there to watch you grow up. I did some stupid things when I was young and I am sorry. I want you know that I love you, baby girl, and there is not a day that I do not think about whether or not you are happy and healthy. One day we will meet again. Love, Dad."

Sarah was now sitting with tears sliding down her cheeks. Elena came over and placed an arm around her shoulders. "There's more," Stefan said. "If you contact my lawyer, Mr. Chuck Astly, you will find that I have taken out a fifty thousand dollar insurance policy. I hope that helps you and your mother." Sarah's eyes widened and Stefan handed her the letter so that she could read it.

Sarah jumped up off of the chair. "I have to call my Mom," she exclaimed. She went into the kitchen and began to dial a number. "Mom, you will never guess what happened today." They could hear Sarah saying. Stefan and Elena waved good-bye to Sarah, who waved back and mouthed a silent "Thank you."

Stefan closed the door and as they walked to the car. Elena sighed. "I think we're going to be okay."

Stefan put an arm around her shoulders. "I think so, too."

**I'm so close to a hundred reviews but so far away. Please, help me get there. It would be awesome. And for extra incentive anyone who reviews gets a sneak preview of chapter 32, It's a Nice Day for a White Wedding which is a super long chapter. It should be two chapter but I liked it better this way and that way I wouldn't leave you all on two cliffhangers. **** Thank you for reviewing Deepie-NtinaBFFs, WeasleysGroupie, karmen238, Klaroline-teenwolf and imdrowninfootwear. I will see you next week. **

**Love, **

**LL**


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